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Create Clickable Phone Numbers in Microsoft Lists for iPhone

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to automatically convert stored phone numbers into clickable, tap-to-call links when viewing Microsoft Lists on an iPhone.

How to Create Clickable Phone Numbers in Microsoft Lists for iPhone

Product: Microsoft Lists
Device & OS: iPhone (iOS)
Scenario: Accessing a contact directory or data list via the Microsoft Lists mobile app and needing to dial a phone number directly from a list item.
Observed behavior: Phone numbers display as plain text by default and do not initiate a phone call when tapped in the iOS application.

Before you start

Ensure you have 'Edit' permissions for the Microsoft List and access the list from a desktop web browser to apply the required JSON column formatting.

Solution 1Recommended

Apply JSON Column Formatting for Telephone Links

Use custom JSON code to format the phone number column as a clickable hyperlink that triggers the iPhone dialer.

Since Microsoft Lists does not have a built-in toggle for clickable phone numbers, you can override the default text rendering using JSON column formatting. By adding a 'tel:' protocol to the column, the iPhone app can recognize the text as a phone number.

Open Column Settings

Navigate to your Microsoft List on a desktop web browser. Click on the column header containing your phone numbers, select 'Column settings', and then click 'Format this column'.

Enable Advanced Mode

At the bottom of the formatting pane on the right side of the screen, click on 'Advanced mode' to allow custom JSON input.

Enter the JSON Code

Paste a JSON schema that formats the field as an anchor tag. Ensure the 'href' attribute is set to use the telephone protocol, such as "tel:[$YourColumnName]", replacing 'YourColumnName' with the internal name of your phone number column.

Save and Test on iPhone

Click 'Save' to apply the formatting. Open the Microsoft Lists app on your iPhone, navigate to the list, and tap the phone number to ensure it successfully launches the phone dialer.

Apply JSON Column Formatting for Telephone Links

Mobile App Rendering: Always test the formatting directly on the iPhone app before deploying it to all users, as mobile rendering of JSON elements can occasionally differ from the desktop web experience.

Solution 2

Request Advanced Support from Microsoft Q&A

If standard JSON formatting fails to render correctly as a tap-to-call link on the iOS app, consult the Microsoft SharePoint Q&A community for advanced workarounds.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Microsoft Lists have a default tap-to-call feature?

No, Microsoft Lists treats number and text columns as standard data. It does not currently provide a built-in setting to automatically convert phone numbers into tap-to-call links in the mobile app without custom formatting.

What if the JSON formatted link opens a browser instead of the phone dialer?

Ensure your JSON code uses the 'tel:' protocol in the href attribute (e.g., 'tel:[$Phone]'). If it still opens a web browser, the specific version of the iOS Lists app might not fully support that JSON element rendering, and you may need to update the app or check Microsoft Q&A for known mobile bugs.

Do I need administrative privileges to apply JSON formatting?

You do not need full global administrative privileges, but you must have at least 'Edit' or 'Design' permissions on the specific list to access column settings and apply custom JSON code.

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