How to create a shortcut to a contact (Galaxy S8)

[gardengal4]

My old phone used to have a homescreen shortcut to old fashioned voicemail (*86). The verizon store put it on there on my last phone. Need it again on new phone. Should be easy but I don't see anything.

Related... I think I'm in some free trial period with Visual Voicemail. Can I get rid of it or will it go away quietly in the future?

 

[djrakowski]

I don’t have a Galaxy, so take my advice for what it’s worth... but I seem to recall that there’s a widget that allows you to add a contact to the home screen. Can anyone confirm?

Regarding Visual Voicemail, at least on T-Mobile, the feature just goes away after the trial period. I’m not sure whether it works the same way on VZW, but I suspect it does.

 

[Doug Moffat]

If you use the Edge pullout there are several contact apps that do the job.

 

[Rukbat]

The Direct Dial widget will call the contact (you have to choose the contact when you set it up). Direct Text will go directly to your text app with the contacxt's number already in the To box.

 

[gardengal4]

Perfect!! Thanks. That was it. I found some other helpful widgets too. I had forgotten all about widgets. So much to do settling in to a new phone!!

Now that I am thinking about widgets, on my old phone I used to have a People widget on its own home screen that was 4x6 or something like that. I guess I will use the edge for those people. I prefer a home screen, but I guess I'll get used to the edge. But I do like VM right on the home screen. Or maybe I will make an entire panel with people widgets. choices choices...