All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

[AlmightyKang]

I don't really care. I'd be happy if it didn't even exist. The only thing that switch is used for on my iPhone 15 is getting stuck on the case when it is turned on and turning silent mode off which is on permanently otherwise.

 

[User 6502]

The (in)action button is such a downgrade. I’d like my mute switch back. I never use this silly button and whenever I want to mute the phone I have to take it out of my pocket as otherwise I wouldn’t know if it is currently muted or not. Definitely a solution in search of a problem, and possibly ending up like the 3D Touch (which in comparison was far more useful).

 

[Larabee119]

The action button is pretty useful. I use that all the time to open doors and enable home automation scene when I come home.

 

[Remy149]

Even if only a handful of users truly customize it. It has more potential then the simple switch ever did

 

[7thson]

I love it. It was a nice perk I was looking forward to when I chose the 15 pro over the 15. Someone here on MR shared a shortcut and I’ve customized it for my preferences. Yes I do occasionally mistake it for a volume button but it’s not a deal breaker. 🤞Apple adds multi press functionality in the near future.

 

[Ctrlos]

Having it as an accessibility option for people who cannot feel a flat circular icon on a screen to activate a camera or other shortcut is still a useful and laudable thing to include. Just because I might not find it useful doesn't mean other people won't. Many still appreciate the tactility of a button to trigger an outcome.

 

[groove-agent]

The action button on my 15 Pro is in a horrible spot. It's above the volume buttons which is very difficult to reach for me. If they had placed it below the volume buttons it would be easier to reach and I might actually use it. Below the volume buttons also puts the action button close to the vertical center so when you trigger the button with one hand, it's supported by the rest of your hand.

 

[appleCakes]

The mechanical form that truly serves photography is an Apple Watch style Digital Crown. Single/ double/ triple click ... and above all a smooth and satisfying zoom.

What good is all the optical zoom range if working with it is a pain. Reinvent the wheel Apple.

 

[ofarlig]

It is actually a really useful thing, use it as my home assistant button to control stuff in my home. You can make it do loads of things depending on what you want it to do, different things for different times or modes or whatnot.

 

[antiprotest]

it’s on the Lock Screen too. Literally just have to move your finger 3 inches. Doesn’t justify a button

Imagine you are lost in the woods running from a bear. It's night time and you can't see where you are going, and it just started to rain quite heavily. You whip out your iPhone as you run to turn on the flashlight...Ah! The rain falls on the screen and the flashlight button becomes unresponsive. The bear is also catching up. In a few seconds you'd be done for. If you trip or run into a tree now it's all over. At this moment you remember that you have set your action button to turn on the flashlight. You press it and the light turns on! Suddenly you see a tree just three feet from you and you were just about to hit it. You swerve at the last moment just as the bear pounces. The bear hits the tree instead and fell unconscious. You keep running. Setting the button to flashlight has saved your life.

 

[darthbane2k]

Imagine you are lost in the woods running from a bear. It's night time and you can't see where are you going, and it just started to run quite heavily. You whip out your iPhone as you run to turn on the flashlight...Ah! The rain falls on the screen and the flashlight button becomes unresponsive. The bear is also catching up. In a few seconds you'd be done for. If you trip or run into a tree now it's all over. At this moment you remember that you have set your action button to turn on the flashlight. You press it and the light turns on! Suddenly you see a tree just three feet from you and you were just about to hit it. You swerve at the last moment just as the bear pounces. The bear hits the tree instead and fell unconscious. You keep running. Setting the button to flashlight has saved your life.

Well I’m sold.

 

[Rychiar]

Not putting it right next to the volume button would make it a lot more useful🙄

 

[Biro]

I’m sure when one of these buttons eventually turns up on a new iPhone that I purchase I’ll probably set it to work like the mute switch on my 15 Plus. Either that or I’ll just ignore it.

But the results of the Mac Rumors poll, however unscientific, sound right to me. Most people ignore it, a sizable minority finds it useful in different ways and a core group of fanboys think it’s the second coming.

 

[TruthWatcher412]

I use mine all the time to open a shortcuts folder and quickly run shortcuts, very useful to me.

 

[trip1ex]

I use mine to crank call Tim.

 

[miamialley]

So I really LIKE the action button. When I am doing my daily routine I set it for the mute function. However, when I travel, I change it to the camera button and find it's really helpful/useful on trips when I constantly am taking pictures. Now I would be really disappointed if they removed the action button.

 

[Neil Harrison]

I use it as mute and use it more than the volume buttons

 

[JippaLippa]

I have one specific use in mind, so I'm moderately hyped for this change (especially since I probably won't get the pro, this september)

 

[jonnysods]

The muscle memory is hard to overcome for me. I set it to my camera, then my flashlight, but I still go for the home screen for those things.

 

[TheWraith]

I like the IDEA of the action button. In practice it has not been useful for me at all.

 

[d-klumpp]

This piece only demonstrates that most amateurs cannot develop effective survey instruments.

 

[Natas1000]

Setting up quick shortcuts for the button is nice, but I can see how some people don’t need or want it

I have it set to open a ShortCut shelf of 8 thing I do all the time. Super useful for quick one handed things.

 

[johnalan]

Ye it’s not really useful. Use it for opening the camera but that’s on the Lock Screen anyway. So is flashlight, the only other thing I’d use it for. So makes it pointless. Also the action button on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is even more useless. I don’t use it for workouts so it’s set to flash light. Never use the thing. Such a waste of buttons.

I agree it's not useful for the average person, but for me I use it to run a shortcut that hits a bunch of Web APIs and parses JSON responses showing me the aggregate gain/loss of investments I have, prior to that I used it to hit an SSH endpoint that opened my garage, literally using it 15-30 times a day.

I guess I'm in the 10%, so maybe it doesn't make sense to keep, just like the very great pressure sensitive screens.

 

[kirky29]

It's insanely handy for me as a quick camera button, I typically press it as I get the phone out of my pocket, then take the pic. Super handy for those urgent random pics!

 

[AndiG]

One of Apples golden rule said to leave a feature away if less than 20% of the users use it. Now compare this to
„Some respondents (12.6%) agreed with the description that the Action button is a "game changer."“.

I guess neither Tim nor Phil did even hear about this Jobs principle how to make a device simple to use. Or they just don‘t care cause all they have in mind is profit.