Phone app not opening from your Blank Spaces widget?

Issues with the phone app are fixable by importing the Phone shortcut. See below.

The Phone app is one of a handful of iOS system apps that Apple does not allow third-party apps to open directly. To launch Phone from a widget tap, Blank Spaces routes the call through a custom Apple Shortcut you have to import once.

How to fix it

1. Import the Phone Shortcut

The first time you tap Phone in Blank Spaces, you should see a prompt to import a Shortcut called [Blank] Phone. Tap Add Shortcut and grant permission when iOS asks.

If you missed the prompt or the Shortcut didn't install, add it manually:

  1. From your iPhone, open this link: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/923f745b5b214c5082bf1eddea0de2ea

  2. The Shortcuts app will open. Tap Add Shortcut.

  3. Re-open Blank Spaces and tap Phone. It should now open the Phone app.

2. Smooth out the launch animation (optional)

Because Phone has to route through Shortcuts, you may see a brief flash of Blank Spaces or the Shortcuts banner before Phone opens. To make this much less noticeable:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone

  2. Tap Accessibility

  3. Tap Motion

  4. Turn on Reduce Motion

This doesn't remove the routing, but the transition becomes nearly invisible.

Still not working?

If Phone still won't open after importing the Shortcut, reset the Phone entry in Blank Spaces and re-add it:

  1. Open Blank Spaces

  2. Find the Phone item in your apps list

  3. Tap the × next to it to delete it

  4. Re-add Phone from the app picker — this re-runs the Shortcut import flow