How to Dial an Extension on iPhone: A Complete Guide
I find calling someone who has an extension added to their phone number a little tiring. But given that most companies route callers to various departments through a phone number, it’s pretty much inevitable if you need to reach them or contact a buddy who works there.
Thankfully, dialing an extension is relatively easy on an iPhone, and you’ll find out how to go about it here. I’ll also show you how to permanently save the target contact as an extension so that you won’t have to add the extra numbers anytime you need to redial it.
Read on below to find out how!
How to Dial an Extension on Your iPhone
Dialing an extension on your iPhone is a hassle-free process, and you should be up and running with the following steps:
- Launch the Dialer app and open the keypad
- Input the original phone number you intend to dial
- Next, long-press the * key (asterisk) till a comma (,) appears next to the numbers you’ve pressed. The comma adds a ~2-second pause before the extension
- Now, enter the extension digits after the comma
- Press the green Call button. Your iPhone dials the main number, pauses briefly, then sends the extension automatically
- Need a longer delay? Add more than one comma (each comma ≈ 2 seconds)
- For a manual prompt instead of an automatic pause, long-press the # key until a semicolon (;) appears. This adds a wait: your iPhone will show a “Dial” button after the call connects, and only then send the extension
Tip: You can also say, “Hey Siri, call 555-123-4567, extension 123.” If Siri mishears, place the call first, then use the Wait method so you can manually tap Dial when the IVR prompt finishes. For Apple’s terminology, see Apple Support: Make a call on iPhone.
How to Save an Extension to Your Contact List
You can modify an existing contact and save it as an extension for future purposes. To do this,
- Launch the Contacts app on your iPhone or swipe to Contacts from the Phone app
- Open the contact you intend to save as an extension
- Tap Edit on the contact information screen
- Tap the phone number you’re updating. Or tap the plus (+) to add a new number with the extension, keeping the original intact
- Tap the keypad’s +*# key, then tap Pause (inserts a comma) or Wait (inserts a semicolon)
- Enter the extension after the comma/semicolon
- Tap Done to save
Notes: Pause dials automatically after ~2 seconds (use multiple pauses for longer menus). Wait stops until you tap a prompt to send the digits—useful for IVRs that won’t accept input until after a message. Apple’s contact editor labels match this: see Apple Support: Use contacts > Automate dialing an extension.
Final Notes
That’s all there is to dialing an extension on your iPhone. With the above tutorial, you shouldn’t have to input the extra numbers anytime you need to call your contacts with an extension. It’s that easy.
Troubleshooting: If the extension sends too early, add extra commas. If the system ignores your digits, switch to Wait. On dual-SIM iPhones, make sure you’ve selected the correct line before placing the call (shown near the Call button).
You can also use the comments section below if you need further assistance. Meanwhile, if you ever need to get rid of any contacts on your phone, be it an extension or a regular phone number, follow the tutorial on How to Delete Contacts on iPhone.
What’s New in This Update
- Clarified the difference between Pause (comma) and Wait (semicolon), including chaining multiple pauses for longer IVRs.
- Added Siri tip and dual-SIM note for modern iPhones.
- Updated contact-editing steps to use the +*# keypad with explicit Pause/Wait buttons.
- Linked to current Apple Support pages for accurate, version-agnostic guidance.
Last updated: 2025-10-21
