A common use of BIG Launcher is assigning direct calling to a large home screen button.
Create a direct contact button
To do this, tap the three dots next to the clock on the BIG Launcher home screen and choose “Set buttons”. The button editor will open. Select the button where you want to place the contact shortcut and choose “Direct call/SMS”.
Choose what the contact button should do
The next screen lets you choose what the button should do. It can call the contact directly, open the SMS editor for this contact, or ask what you want to do with the contact: call or write an SMS. If you choose this option for the first time, BIG Launcher may ask for permission to access your contacts. Allow the permission, select the contact, and then select the phone number. If the contact has more than one phone number, choose the number that should be used by this button.
Use the contact button
If the contact has a photo assigned, it will appear on the button. When you return to the BIG Launcher home screen and tap the button, a dialog appears asking whether you want to call or send an SMS. If you tap “Call”, dialing starts.
Remove the SMS option from the call dialog
If you want to remove the SMS option from this dialog, tap the three dots next to the clock and choose “Preferences”. Select “Contacts” and find “Show message option in call dialog”. Switch it to “No”. When you return to the BIG Launcher home screen and tap the contact button, the dialog will only show the call option.
Why the confirmation dialog can be useful
This dialog is useful because it helps prevent accidental calls, for example when the phone is touched in a pocket. It acts as a safety confirmation before calling.
Disable the dialog completely
If you want to disable the dialog completely, go to “Preferences”, open “Contacts”, and enable “No menu when calling the contact”. After this, tapping the direct call button will immediately dial the selected contact.
Disable the dialer menu too
A similar setting exists for the dialer. When you dial a number and tap the green call button, BIG Phone normally shows a menu asking whether you want to call the number or add it to your contacts. To disable this menu, go to BIG Launcher “Preferences”, choose “Contacts”, and enable “No menu in the dialer”. After that, dialing a number will start the call immediately without the confirmation dialog.