Apple’s upcoming iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are widely expected to inherit the Action button first seen on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro models. The Action button replaces the traditional Ring/Silent switch – a staple of the iPhone since it launched in 2007. For users unfamiliar with the Action button, here’s a rundown of its functions – including some new features that iOS 18 will bring to the table for all iPhone models with an Action button.
The Action button replaces the single-function switch used to toggle between ring and silent, offering additional options so users can choose between quickly accessing the camera or flashlight, activate Voice Memos, Focus modes, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier. Users can also associate it with Shortcuts for more options.
A press-and-hold gesture with fine-tuned haptic feedback and visual cues in the Dynamic Island ensure the new Action button launches the intended action, which users can customize in Settings and assign to different actions.
Existing Action Button Functions
Here’s what the Action button can be programmed to do:
- Accessibility: Access to various accessibility settings, such as VoiceOver, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, Live Speech, and more.
- Shortcuts: Open your favorite app, or run a shortcut created in or downloaded from the Shortcuts app, such as sending a message, playing a playlist, or controlling smart home devices.
- Silent Mode: Like the Ring/Silent switch on existing iPhone models, toggle silent mode on or off, which will mute or unmute the ringer and alerts.
- Camera: Take a photo, selfie, video, portrait, or portrait selfie with a single press of the Action button.
- Flashlight: Turn on or off the flashlight on the back of the device.
- Focus: Activate or deactivate a Focus mode.
- Magnifier: Activate the Magnifier app to use the iPhone’s camera as a magnifying glass to zoom in on small text or objects.
- Translate: Launch the Translate app and start a conversation or text translation with a single press of the Action button.
- Voice Memos: Start or stop recording a voice memo with the Voice Memos app.
New Action Button Functions Coming in iOS 18
iOS 18 allows the Action button to be assigned to one of the dozens of controls available in the new Control Center gallery, allowing the Action button to invoke Dark Mode, Airplane Mode, Personal Hotspot, and more.
Available Control Center actions in iOS 18 will include:
- Calculator
- Stopwatch
- Alarm
- Home
- Timer
- Dark Mode
- Scan Code
- Airplane Mode
- Cellular Data
- Personal Hotspot
- Dark Mode
- Quick Note
- Remote
- Wallet
- Tap to Cash
- Ping My Watch
These new options are in addition to the actions that were already available for the Action button on iOS 17, including Ring/Silent, Do Not Disturb, Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Magnifier, Translate, Shortcut, and Accessibility. Some of the new Control Center options were already possible with the Shortcut or Accessibility options.
Multiple rumors have suggested that all the iPhone 16 models will also have an all-new button that’s designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode. Check out our dedicated article on the subject to learn more about what it will do. Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone 16 lineup next month.
