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iPhone developer Nate True worked out a clever way to add speed dial functionality to the iPhone using the Web Clips feature introduced in firmware update 1.1.3.
This method for adding speed dial to iPhone is 100% legit — that is, Jailbreaking your iPhone is NOT required.
Read on for the very simple step-by-step instructions:
Adding Speed Dial to iPhone
1. Open Safari on your iPhone and, in the URL field, type:
http://(the phone number).tel.QLNK.net

2. You’ll get a “Call” popup. Touch Cancel.
3. Finally, tap “+” at the bottom of the screen and touch “Add to Home Screen”. Name your Web Clip and you’re done.
Now return to the home screen and you’ll see the new speed dial icon. Tap it and it requests a page on the developer’s server, which prompts the call.
For those concerned about privacy, the developer promises:
I assure you I will not use this data AT ALL FOR ANY REASON. It is entirely possible to put a similar script on your own web server, which will do the same thing without sending me any information; that course of action is recommended if you are at all concerned about your privacy.
How to Add a Photo to the Speed Dial Icon
If instead of the phone icon, you’d like to use a photo instead, add ?picurl=http://path.to/photo to the above-mentioned URL, like so:
http://(the phone number).tel.QLNK.net?picurl=http://path.to/photo
I uploaded a 40 x 40 pixel headshot of my contact to PhotoBucket and used the direct link to the image.

iPhone Speed Dial Cool, But Not Exactly Speedy
Nate True’s method is not exactly speed dial since you have to touch twice to call — once on the icon and again to hit the Call button.
Double-tapping your Home button to access your Favorite contacts is just as fast. Nevertheless, it’s a neat trick I thought I’d share. Thanks, Nate!





4 Comments So Far...
lovvin it
[...] icons to the iPhone’s Home Screen? The folks from Apple iPhone Review have spelled out an iPhone lesson that describes just that! To wit: ….iPhone developer Nate True worked out a clever way to add [...]
well, its great, but i have a doubt, where i should i repleace for placing my photo, in path or in the last “photo”?
I’ve also put together a simpler and sexier solution for this type of feature. This version allows you to call someone again simply too! It has a iPhone formatted page to create these easily.
http://madebysquad.com/iphone-photo-dial/
It doesn’t require Javascript either & the pages are named in Safari if you want to leave it open.