Open Favorites and tap the edit button to change what appears

Your iPhone's Favorites list lives in the Phone app and shows the people you call or message most often. To edit it, open the Phone app, tap the Favorites tab at the bottom, then tap Edit in the upper left corner. From there you can remove contacts by tapping the red minus circle next to their name, or reorder them by dragging the three horizontal lines on the right side of each entry up or down.

The changes save when ready when you tap Done. You can add someone back to Favorites anytime by finding them in your Contacts, tapping the star icon next to their name, or by tapping the plus sign in the upper right corner of the Favorites tab while in edit mode.

Key Takeaways

  • Edit Favorites by opening the Phone app, tapping Favorites, then tapping Edit in the upper left corner.
  • Remove a contact by tapping the red minus circle, or reorder contacts by dragging the three-line handle on the right side of each name.
  • Add someone to Favorites by finding them in Contacts and tapping the star icon, or by using the plus sign while in edit mode.
  • Your Favorites list appears at the top of the Phone app and in Siri suggestions, so keeping it organized helps you reach the right person faster.

Remove a contact from Favorites in three taps

Open the Phone app and tap Favorites at the bottom. Tap Edit in the upper left corner. Find the contact you want to remove and tap the red minus circle on the left side of their name, then tap Delete to confirm.

The contact stays in your phone's Contacts app — removing them from Favorites only hides them from this list. You can add them back anytime by tapping the star next to their name in Contacts, or by using the plus sign in edit mode.

Reorder your Favorites list by dragging contacts

In edit mode, each contact has three horizontal lines on the right side of their entry. Press and hold those lines, then drag the contact up or down to the position you want. The list reorders as you drag, and you can move multiple contacts in one editing session.

Put the people you call most often at the top so they appear first when you open the Phone app. This is especially useful if you have a long Favorites list — the top few contacts are always visible without scrolling.

Add someone to Favorites from your Contacts

Open the Contacts app and find the person you want to add. Tap their name to open their contact card, then tap the star icon near the top of the screen. The star fills in, and that contact now appears in your Favorites list.

You can also add someone while editing Favorites. Open the Phone app, tap Favorites, tap Edit, then tap the plus sign in the upper right corner. Search for or scroll to the contact you want, then tap their name to add them.

Use Favorites to speed up calling and messaging

Your Favorites list appears at the top of the Phone app every time you open it, so the people you contact most are always one tap away. Siri also learns from your Favorites — if you say "Call Mom" or "Text Sarah," Siri suggests the right person based on who appears in your list.

Keep your Favorites list to the people you actually contact regularly. A shorter list is faster to scan, and it trains Siri to give you better suggestions. If someone moves down your contact priority, remove them from Favorites and add them back later if needed.

Manage Favorites on different iPhone models

The steps to edit Favorites are the same on iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, and newer models. Older iPhones running iOS 16 or later also use the same Phone app interface. If you have an iPhone running iOS 15 or earlier, the Favorites tab and edit button are in the same location, but the visual design may look slightly different.

If you use iCloud to sync your contacts across devices, changes you make to Favorites on one iPhone appear on your other Apple devices within a few minutes. This means if you reorder your Favorites on your iPhone, the same order shows up on your iPad or Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different Favorites on different iPhones?

If you use the same iCloud account on both phones, Favorites sync automatically and stay the same across devices. If you want different Favorites on each phone, you would need to use separate iCloud accounts, which also separates your contacts and other data.

What happens to Favorites if I restore my iPhone from a backup?

Your Favorites list is included in iPhone backups, so restoring from a backup restores your Favorites in the same order. If you back up to iCloud, your Favorites sync to any new iPhone you set up with the same account.

Can I create multiple Favorites lists?

The Phone app has one Favorites list. You cannot create separate lists for work contacts, family, or other groups within the Favorites tab. If you need to organize contacts by category, use the Groups feature in the Contacts app instead.

Why does Siri suggest contacts that aren't in my Favorites?

Siri learns from your calling and messaging habits, not just your Favorites list. Even if someone is not in Favorites, Siri may suggest them if you contact them frequently. Keeping your Favorites list updated helps Siri prioritize the people you contact most.