Unleashing the Power of the Action Button: Mastering Your iPhone 15 Pro

The launch of the iPhone 15 Pro models caused a lot of excitement, particularly due to the long-awaited transition to a USB-C port. However, another noteworthy change that has garnered significant attention is the introduction of the Action button.

Initially introduced on the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple has now released a modified version of the Action button for the iPhone 15 Pro series. This small button is located above the volume rockers and replaces the conventional Ring/Silent switch found on earlier iterations.

What Is the Default iPhone Action Button Function?

Similar to the previous Ring/Silent switch, your iPhone can effortlessly switch between Ring and Silent modes through the Action button. Simply press and hold the Action button to toggle between these modes.

By performing this action, you will experience haptic feedback and observe a Ring/Silent animation in the Dynamic Island of your iPhone. This visual and tactile response will serve as an indication that the Action button has successfully activated the Ring or Silent mode.

How Do You Change What the iPhone Action Button Does?

You can customize the Action button on your iPhone to better suit your needs and preferences.

First, go to the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on the "Action Button" option.

You will find an image of the Action Button displayed on your screen, accompanied by the names and icons of the available actions. To choose the desired action, effortlessly swipe left or right.

If there are any additional options for your selected action, you'll see up and down chevrons below that action. Tap to see the list of options available.

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Here’s the list of actions you can perform using the Action button:

Silent Mode: Turns the Silent mode on or off like the Ring/Silent switch on the previous iPhone models.

Focus: Activates or deactivates a particular Focus mode (default mode is Do Not Disturb).

Camera: Opens the Camera app to take a photo (default), selfie, video, portrait, or portrait selfie.

Flashlight: Turns on/off the flashlight of your iPhone.

Voice Memo: Starts or stops recording a voice memo using the default Voice Memos app.

Magnifier: Opens the default Magnifier application, allowing the iPhone camera to function as a zooming tool, transforming it into a magnifying glass for close-up viewing of objects.

Shortcut: Grants access to either an app selected by the user or executes a specific shortcut (more details to be provided shortly!).

Accessibility: Accesses various accessibility features like Live Captions, Guided Access, Zoom, and more.

No Action: As the name suggests, it doesn't perform any function.

How to Customize the iPhone Action Button With Shortcuts

As mentioned previously, you have the ability to customize Action button shortcuts or launch specific applications through Apple's Shortcut app. This powerful tool allows you to quickly enable your hotspot, activate low power mode, utilize Shazam, and accomplish a multitude of other tasks. The possibilities with Shortcuts are limitless!

For this example, we’ll show you how you can create a Shortcut to open a certain app.

Swipe to the "Shortcuts" option and tap the "Choose a Shortcut" button.

A popup will appear with a vast range of actions you can perform via Shortcuts. For this particular example, tap on the "Open App" option in the upper right corner.

Here, you'll see a list of the apps installed on your iPhone. Select the app you want to map to the Action button.

Exit the menu. Now, whenever you want to open your selected app, you can just long-press the Action button.

Here's how you can incorporate similar functionality on your Android device. Follow these steps to add an Action button to your Android phone. Additionally, make sure to explore the new features on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro.