Problem Statement
What is the primary benefit of using type="tel" for phone numbers?
Explanation
The primary benefit of type equals tel is that it displays a numeric keypad on mobile devices, making phone number entry faster and easier. Unlike the number input type, tel does not validate the format or restrict input to numbers only. This is intentional because phone numbers vary greatly across countries and may include characters like plus signs, parentheses, and hyphens. For example, plus 1 parenthesis 555 close parenthesis 123 hyphen 4567 is valid. The tel input accepts any text but signals to mobile browsers to show a phone-optimized keyboard. You can add pattern validation if you need to enforce a specific phone format for your region. You can also use the maxlength attribute to limit length. The tel input type improves mobile user experience without restricting international phone formats.
Code Solution
SolutionRead Only
<!-- Basic tel input -->
<form>
<label for="phone">Phone Number:</label>
<input type="tel"
id="phone"
name="phone"
placeholder="(555) 123-4567">
</form>
<!-- Tel with pattern for US format -->
<form>
<label for="phone">Phone (US):</label>
<input type="tel"
id="phone"
name="phone"
pattern="[0-9]{3}-[0-9]{3}-[0-9]{4}"
placeholder="123-456-7890"
required>
</form>
<!-- International phone with pattern -->
<form>
<label for="mobile">Mobile:</label>
<input type="tel"
id="mobile"
name="mobile"
pattern="\+?[0-9\s\-\(\)]+"
placeholder="+1 (555) 123-4567">
</form>
<!-- Contact form with tel -->
<form action="/contact" method="POST">
<input type="text" name="name" placeholder="Name" required>
<input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Email" required>
<input type="tel" name="phone" placeholder="Phone Number">
<button type="submit">Contact Me</button>
</form>