Using the Google Contacts App (Android)

The contact shortcut shows on your Android phone’s home screen. Tap on the shortcut to open the contact, then tap on the number in the contact to call the person.

Using a Widget (Android)

If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, you can use the Contacts widget to add contacts to the home screen with a direct dial shortcut, which allows you to call a person from the home screen without opening the contact.

Using a Widget (iPhone)

The Contacts app on aniPhone doesn’t let you add shortcuts to the home screen. Instead, you have to use the Contact widget to add it to the home screen as shown below: Similarly, you can add a four- or eight-contact widget to your home screen.

Using the Shortcuts App (iPhone)

The previous method has a drawback: it will open the contact first. If you want to directly call the person from your iPhone’s home screen, you have to create a shortcut using the Apple Shortcuts app.