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Learn about four ways to add a number row to the top of your iPhone keyboard so you can type digits faster and more conveniently.

Unlike the stock keyboard on most Android phones, the iOS English keyboard does not include a number row. To enter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0, you have to first tap the 123 button and then select a digit.

However, if your work involves entering numbers quickly and regularly, then here are some ways to do that on iPhone.

Use Microsoft SwiftKey

SwiftKey is a third-party keyboard app that offers excellent predictions, theme customization, swipe-to-type, and the option to show a number row above the QWERTY layout.

I have been using SwiftKey on my iPhones for 12 years, pretty much the day Apple allowed third-party keyboards on iOS. But you’ll definitely have to get used to it for a few days before you’re fully comfortable.

Follow these steps to set up SwiftKey and show a number row:

1) Download the latest version of SwiftKey on your iPhone.

2) Open the app and tap Get Started. You may avoid signing into your Microsoft account by tapping Not Now. You can also choose not to share your typing data with Microsoft.

3) Now, tap the ‘Take me there‘ button, which will open the Settings app.

4) Tap Keyboards, enable the switch next to SwiftKey, and then ‘Allow Full Access.’

Alternatively, you can go to iPhone Settings > General > Keyboard > Add New Keyboard, search for SwiftKey, and allow full access.

5) Open the SwiftKey app again, and it will ask you to touch and hold the globe key and switch to SwiftKey. Then, tap Next on the Installation Successful screen.

6) Go to the Settings tab of SwiftKey and turn on Number Row.

7) Now, open Notes, Messages, or another app and start typing. You’ll have an easy numeric row to enter digits without tapping the 123 key first.

In case you don’t like extra buttons like the Copilot icon, return to the SwiftKey app settings and turn off one or more of these options:

• Voice Typing
• Always Show Copilot Icon
• Show Menu Button Left
• Show default toolbar

Then force-quit and reopen the app where you were typing for new keyboard changes to take effect.

Once you’re accustomed to SwiftKey, you can return to iOS keyboard settings and remove the stock Apple keyboard, leaving just SwiftKey (and maybe the Emoji keyboard) there.

Use Google Gboard

Gboard doesn’t offer a dedicated number row like SwiftKey, but you can turn on ‘Show number row‘ in its app settings, which lets you enter 0-9 by touching and holding the keys in the top qwertyuiop row.

Use Apple’s Vietnamese keyboard

If you don’t want to use third-party keyboards, consider this tip.

The Vietnamese VNI and Arabic Transliteration keyboards on iPhone show a native number row.

Arabic Transliteration not only types from right to left but also changes what you type in English into Arabic, which will defeat the purpose. So that keyboard is out of the question for English typers. That leaves us with the Vietnamese keyboard.

However, be mindful that even though you can type in English using the Vietnamese keyboard, it will not offer English word predictions and may even mark correct English words as incorrect, as those are not Vietnamese words. So it’s best to turn off both of these features (I will show you below).

Follow these steps to add the right Vietnamese keyboard on your iPhone that shows a number row.

1) Go to iPhone Settings > General > Keyboard > Add New Keyboard.

2) Scroll to the bottom and tap Vietnamese.

3) Tap Add New Keyboard instead of adding it to your English keyboard.

4) Select VNI layout (as that’s the one that shows the number row) and tap the checkmark icon.

5) Open Notes, Messages, or another app and start typing. Touch and hold the globe icon and switch to the Vietnamese keyboard. You’ll see a number row at the top of the keyboard.

To turn off unnecessary Vietnamese word suggestions, go to Settings > General > Keyboard and turn off Auto-Correction, Predictive Text, and Check Spelling and Grammar.

To remove the Vietnamese keyboard, return to the iOS keyboard settings, swipe left, then tap Delete. Be sure to add another keyboard before you do this.

Use a hardware keyboard

Lastly, you can connect a wireless (Bluetooth) or wired keyboard to your iPhone, which should have a dedicated numeric keypad. While not helpful for regular folks, this tip can be useful if you need to enter numbers for hours on end for your work (I have this HP 350 keyboard that supports up to 3 devices).

Aside from using a third-party keyboard, a non-English stock keyboard, or a hardware keyboard, there is no other way to have a dedicated number row for your typing needs on an iPhone running iOS 27 or older.

Hopefully, Apple takes note of this and adds a dedicated number row in iOS 28.

Also, check out: 17 tips to type quickly and accurately on iPhone

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/08/13/how-to-get-a-number-row-on-your-iphone-keyboard/

Learn how to set up favorite contacts on your iPhone, so they appear in a dedicated section, making it quicker to call, text, FaceTime, WhatsApp, or email close people.

Marking an important contact as a favorite is one of the easiest ways to speed dial on iPhone. Just one tap is all you need to call a favorite person.

And you’re not limited to just marking only a person’s phone number as the favorite. You also have the option to add their texting number, WhatsApp number, or email address as a favorite. Tapping those will open the Messages, WhatsApp, or Mail apps as appropriate.

Favorite contacts appear at the top of the Calls tab or in their own dedicated Favorites tab in the Phone app (more on that below).

Add favorite contacts on iPhone

1) Make sure you have saved the person’s phone number or email address to your iPhone.

2) Go to your iPhone contacts and tap the person’s name.

3) Scroll down and tap Add to Favorites.

4) Depending on the contact, you’ll see one or more of these options:

Messages: Tap it, select Messages, WhatsApp, or another supported chat app shown here. Then, tap the mobile number or email address to add it to your favorites. Going forward, tapping that favorite entry will open a texting window with this person in Messages, WhatsApp, or the relevant app.

Call: Tap it, select Phone (to make a regular cellular call), FaceTime Audio, WhatsApp, or another supported app, and then tap the phone number. If the person uses their email address for FaceTime, you can select that as well. From now on, just one tap on this favorite entry will start a phone call with this person.

Video: Tap it, select FaceTime, WhatsApp, or another app, and tap their mobile number or email address. Touching this in your Phone app Favorites section will initiate a video call with this person.

Mail: Tap it and then select an email address you have added to this person’s contact card. From now on, tapping this favorite entry will open a new email compose box in the Apple Mail app or whatever app you have set as the default.

See all your favorite contacts in one place

If you’re using the default Unified Phone app layout, then your favorite contacts appear as big tiles at the top of the Calls tab. In case you have added more than 8 favorites, tap Show All to see the rest. Stupidly enough, there is no Hide All option, and you’ll have to force-quit and reopen the Phone app to get back to just two rows in favorites.

If you have switched to the Classic Phone app layout, you’ll see all your favorite contacts in a dedicated Favorites tab.

Tapping a favorite contact in either layout will instantly initiate an audio or video call, or open the text or email compose screen.

Change the order of your favorite contacts

In the Unified Phone app layout, tap the Edit button, followed by Edit Favorites. Then touch and hold a favorite contact and drag it to another spot.

In the Classic Phone app layout, tap the Edit button, and then drag the hamburger icon next to a favorite contact up or down to change their position.

Remove a contact from favorite

In the Unified layout, touch and hold the favorite contact tile and tap Remove Favorites.

In the Classic layout, swipe left on a favorite contact and tap the delete icon.

This only removes the favorite entry; it does not delete the contact itself.

I use the Classic Phone app layout…

I have added phone numbers of all my family members to my Favorites. And since I have not memorized their mobile numbers, I regularly need to look them up when paying their phone bills and such.

The new Unified layout requires me to touch and hold the entry and then tap View Contact. In comparison, in the old Classic layout, I only need to tap the info icon ⓘ to view the full contact, which is much faster. This is why I have switched my iOS 26 and iOS 27 Phone app to the old Classic layout.

But if you prefer the new Unified look, do yourself a favor and spend a few minutes setting up Contact Posters for people who haven’t set it up on their end or who don’t have an iPhone. Contact Posters and contact photos make the Favorites interface more beautiful.

Also, check out:

• How to get a call back reminder on iPhone
• How to trim a phone call recording on iPhone

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/08/12/add-favorite-contacts-iphone/