The Hidden Meaning of Those Mysterious Dial Pad Keys on Your iPhone or Android Phone

You may not have noticed, but there are some cryptic buttons on your smartphone keypad for phone numbers. They will appear in your phone and contacts app whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone, but most of these cryptic keys are not explained by Apple, Google, Samsung and other device brands.

If you were to ask your wireless carrier what some of the weird number pad keys mean, you might not get a clear answer for most of them. But we’ve done our research and uncovered the history of each unique character that appears on the numeric keypad when entering phone numbers to call or save.

You’ll see these symbols in the phone and contacts apps for most smartphones, including the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel, as well as calling apps like Google Voice and Skype.

Numeric keypad for contacts on Samsung Galaxy (left) and iPhone (right).

1. Comma (,) or “Pause”

Used to create a two second pause. Pauses are useful when calling numbers with automated menus that need to be navigated, or when calling numbers with extensions.

For example, if you call your voicemail and need to enter your access PIN, you can dial the phone number, a comma, and then your PIN. Then, whenever you make a call, it will wait two seconds after the connection is established before automatically entering your PIN. Save the number scheme in the contacts app and you can listen to new voice messages with one tap.

• 420-555-0128.3456

You can even use the comma character (,) multiple times in the dial plan to navigate complex auto call menus. If you dial a number frequently and need to enter a menu number or extension followed by another menu number, you can store it in your contacts as a number followed by a comma followed by a menu item number followed by a comma followed by menu item number.

• 420-555-0128.2.8

If a two second pause isn’t enough, you can put commas in a row to lengthen the wait time before it calls the next number. In the voicemail example, if it takes five seconds for your PIN to be recognized, you must put three commas (,,,) before the PIN for a six second wait.

• 420-555-0128,,,3456

Commas can also be used with semicolons (see next section). If you don’t see a comma (,) on the phone app keyboard, which might also be labeled as a Pause or P button, it might be hidden behind an ellipsis or some other icon. However, you should definitely see it when you save a phone number in your device’s contacts app, usually hidden behind a +*# or *# button.

• More Info: The Secret Dialer Trick That Automatically Dialls Extensions and Navigates Automatic Call Menus for You

2. Semicolon (;) or “Wait”.

Used to create a wait until you click. Entering a number after a comma (,) will cause it to enter that number after two seconds, but entering a number after a semicolon (;) will give you a new button in the dialer interface that says something like “Dial 2”. You can then click on it when you’re ready.

If you call an automatic line frequently and usually select the same option but want to leave it open in case you need to enter a number for another menu item, use a semicolon (;). This way you will never forget the number of the menu item you always call up, and you can press the Dial button to enter it right away, but you will leave it open in case you want to select something else.

• 420-555-0128;7

You can use multiple semicolons (;) to navigate through more complex automated calling systems, while still allowing you the freedom to select different menu items.

• 420-555-0128;7;2

Semicolons can also be used with commas (see previous section). So if you want to call a number and immediately enter the menu item number and then give you the option to enter another menu item after that, you can store it in your contacts as a number followed by a comma and then the menu item number, for followed by a semicolon followed by the menu item number.

• 420-555-0128.7;2

As with commas, if you don’t see the semicolon (;) on the phone app’s keyboard, which might also be labeled as a “Wait”or “W”button, it might be hidden behind an ellipsis or other icon. You can also find it when you save a phone number in your device’s contacts app, which is usually hidden behind the +*# or *# button.

• More Info: The Secret Dialer Trick That Automatically Dialls Extensions and Navigates Automatic Call Menus for You

3. Plus (+)

Used for outgoing international calls. To call abroad, you need to dial the exit code for the country where your phone number comes from, then the country code, and then the phone number you are calling.

When you see the international prefix symbol (+) at the beginning of a phone number, it tells you that the next set of numbers is a country code and that you need to add an exit code. So if you see a German number on the +49 40-66969 023 list, you should dial 011 49 0-66969 023 from the US.

In many countries, replacing the mobile phone exit code with a plus (+) symbol will work because the cellular network already knows where you are calling from. So, if you can’t remember or don’t want to see the exit code, just add a plus (+) in front of the country code.

• +49 40-66969 023

You can type a plus (+) in most phone applications by pressing and holding the zero (0) key on your keyboard until it appears in the number field. It should also be available in your phone’s contacts app, usually hidden behind a +*# or *# button.

4. Star (*)

Used in dialing codes to perform certain actions. Dialing codes, also known as short codes, asterisks, and service codes, are set by landline and wireless network providers and device manufacturers.

An asterisk (*) or an asterisk can be at the beginning of a dialing code, at the end, or somewhere in between, and some codes use multiple asterisks. Some dialing codes also contain pound signs (#) (see the next section).

The most useful dialing code, supported by all major US carriers, is *67, which hides your phone number from caller ID systems, making you an anonymous caller. You may appear as “private”or “unknown”.

• *67 420-555-0128

Conversely, if you have changed your account settings with your carrier to always make your calls anonymous, you can force your number to show up on caller ID systems using *82.

• *82 420-555-0128

Other star codes can help you set call forwarding options, view information for your cellular account, call the state police, and take other actions or shortcuts.

You can enter an asterisk (*) into your phone’s main dialer, to the left of the zero (0) key. In your phone’s contacts app, it may be hidden behind the +*# or *# button.

• More Info: Over 100 Secret Dialing Codes for Your iPhone and Android Phone

5. Pound (#)

Used in dialing codes to perform certain actions. Dialing codes, also known as short codes, pound codes, and service codes, are set by landline and wireless network providers and device manufacturers.

As with the asterisk (*) codes, the pound sign (*), also known as the pound, octothorpe, and numeric character, can be at the beginning of a dialing code, at the end, or somewhere in between, and some codes will use multiple codes. pound symbols. Some dialing codes also have an asterisk (*) character (see previous section).

If you use T-Mobile, #31 can hide your phone number from caller ID systems, as *67 can, making you an anonymous caller. You may appear as “private”or “unknown”.

• №31 420-555-0128

Other pound codes can help you view data usage (eg #3282 on Verizon), set call forwarding options (eg ##004# on T-Mobile to cancel call forwarding), find companies (eg #WUN on Sprint for search for Western Union locations), view your cell account information (#686# on T-Mobile to view your phone number), and follow other actions or shortcuts.

Many dialing codes use stars (*) and pound sterling (#). The most popular one, *#06#, will show you important device information such as serial number and IMEI.

• *#06#

You can even access hidden data about your cellular network using *3001#12345#*. On iPhone, it opens Field Test Mode, where you can see SIM card details, network tower locations, signal strength, and more.

• *3001#12345#*

You can enter a hash mark (#) into the phone’s main dialer, to the right of the zero (0) key. In your phone’s contacts app, it may be hidden behind the +*# or *# button.

• More Info: Over 100 Secret Dialing Codes for Your iPhone and Android Phone

6. Dash (-)

Used to format numbers in the Contacts application. Many numbers are formatted with a dash (-) and most number pads on Android devices have a key. You can find it in your phone’s contacts app, hidden behind the +*# or *# button.

• 420-555-0128

7. Period (.)

Used to format numbers in the Contacts application. Many people use dots (.) instead of dashes (-) to format phone numbers, and most number pads on Android devices have a key. You can find it in your phone’s contacts app, hidden behind the +*# or *# button.

• 420.555.0128

8. Parentheses (())

Used to format numbers in the Contacts application. As with dashes, brackets are commonly used when displaying phone numbers. In the US, area codes are enclosed in parentheses. Most number pads on Android devices have a key. You can find it in your phone’s contacts app, hidden behind the +*# or *# button.

• (420) 555-0128

9. Wild (C)

Used as a GSM wild symbol. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever need the N wildcard for anything, but it’s available for most number pads on Android devices. The Android N source code refers to it as the “GSM wild symbol”and the only mention of it is the description of the extractNetworkPortion(String phoneNumber) line:

Extracts part of the network address and canonicalizes (filters out delimiters). The network address part contains everything up to and including DTMF control digit delimiters (pause or wait), but no non-diallable characters. Note that the GSM wildcard is allowed in the result. This must be resolved prior to dialing.

N also stands for any digit between 2 and 9, the format used by the North American Numbering Plan. N can replace the first digit of the numbering plan area (also known as the area code) and the interchangeable central office code (the first three digits of a local seven-digit U.S. telephone number). All US area codes start with 2 or higher, as do all central office codes. X is used for other digits in the phone number for any digit from 0 to 9.

• H20-H55-0128

As a wildcard, you can also use N to replace any digit you don’t know in the number, since X is not available. So if you’ve been told a phone number but can’t remember the last digit, you can use N instead, a substitute for “number”, until you understand it.