Tech often pushes ahead without glancing backward, but that doesn’t always mean newer is superior. A feature once central to mobile phones in the late '90s is making a return—thanks to Apple—and you can now use it on your iPhone when placing calls.

Known more widely as T9, text on 9 keys is a predictive text system that enabled messaging on classic phones with physical keypads. On these devices, letters were grouped on number keys from 2 to 9, the 1 key handled punctuation or special characters, the pound key (#) acted as a shift function, and the star key (*) served as a spacebar.

Because users had to press the same number multiple times to select the second, third, or fourth letter on a key, typing messages on older phones was—and still is—a slow process. For instance, entering "gadget hacks" required pressing 4-2-3-4-33-8-#-44-2-222-55-7777. With modern smartphones and their touchscreen keyboards, texting is lightning-fast, rendering traditional T9 input obsolete.

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How T9 Dialing Works on iPhone with iOS 18

Rather than reviving T9 for texting, Apple has introduced T9 dialing in iOS 18. This lets you use the lettered keypad in the Phone app to spell out a contact’s name. It’s even faster than classic T9 texting because you only tap each number once—regardless of which letter you need. The iPhone then predicts the contact based on the sequence and your calling history.

For example, dialing 2-6-6 might bring up names like Ann or Connie, surnames such as Boone, business listings like Comcast, or any number containing 266. On-device intelligence prioritizes showing your most frequently contacted people at the top.

This dramatically speeds up finding and calling contacts, eliminating the need to recall numbers, scroll through your address book, or summon Siri. You can still dial numbers the traditional way, so this predictive option simply enhances—not replaces—standard dialing.

Using T9 Dialing on Your iPhone to Locate Contacts

To get started, make sure your iPhone is running iOS 18 (released Sept. 16), open the Phone app, and begin spelling a contact’s name using the letters on the keypad. Remember: just one tap per digit, no matter which letter you intend to use.

If multiple contacts match your input, the most likely one appears first. Tap it, and the app auto-fills their number. Then, simply press the green call button to connect.

If the top suggestion isn’t the right contact, tap the "[#] more..." option beneath it to see a full list of matches. From there, you can initiate a call by tapping the call icon next to a name, or open their contact card by tapping the name itself to choose from any of their saved numbers.

When a contact has several numbers, the system typically defaults to the primary one, though it may prioritize the number you call most often. Contacts without any saved phone number won’t show up in the predictions.

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There’s currently no way to disable T9 dialing if you prefer not to use it—Apple has integrated it directly into the Phone app on iOS 18. While a toggle might appear in a future update, there’s no indication yet that Apple plans to add one soon.

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Cover photo and screenshots by Justin Meyers/Gadget Hacks

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