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Best Ways to Use the iPhone 16 Action Button

timonz said:
I had it as Shazam for a few days, then silent, currently now it opens books.
Ideally it would toggle between books and music for when I'm out on the bike but I can't see a way to achieve that.
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I haven’t played around with mine yet but reading a comment above, it sounds like you can set a different behavior based on orientation. Maybe toggle that way if you read in landscape for instance.
 
Small White Car said:
I feel like I’m using the silent switch all the time for awful apps that use it as their own personal mute switch.

I never have my ringer on and yet still need the damn switch so I can hear app content.

It baffles me that Apple would introduce this switch without mandating that apps are not allowed to do this.

So even though I also never turn my ringer on, the action button is the most pointless change ever. I’m not changing its function.

Blowing my mind that no one else in this thread seems to have this problem. I must be unlucky with my app selection.

Like, you NEVER run into this?
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Although I don’t have an Action button on my phone but I run into this at many times and not just at games. Unfortunately Apple doesn’t care about this thing.
 
  • Recognize Music - This basically activates Shazam to tell you what music is playing around you. Unless you're using Shazam all the time, this is probably better to activate from Control Center.
Since iOS 18(.1) Shazam mutes the car radio and isn't usable anymore.
 
I’ve tried other functions but I’ve found the thing I come back to 99% of the time is the flashlight. When you need it in a pinch it’s much easier and less cumbersome than having to physically look at the phone and find the flashlight button. I wish it was something more creative but flashlight it is.
 
I don't have the 16 but on my 15 I use it to open the "frunk" of my vehicle!

Love it for that ... also I have the action button on my watch unlock the doors!
 
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NightfallOrchid said:
Something that always surprises me that not more people are talking about this: ever since the removal of the physical mute switch, you can use the Shortcuts app to mute and unmute the phone automatically! No reason to ‘waste’ the Action button as a mute switch. I created an automation that automatically mutes my iPhone (and my Apple Watch) when I leave my home, and unmutes them when I return.
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Focus modes does this already
 
I'm always on silent, so I use it for the calculator app. I use it quite often at work, so why not?
 
jntdroid said:
I still like it for a mute switch, but I've grown accustom to having the button instead of the switch and prefer it now.

I still wish they'd allow a double click to do something as well.
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Double-clicking it isn't an option? wtf Multiple clicks should be an option, including triple.
 
The part in setting for the action button is really horrible, inconsistent and ugly. A totalt different style with silly photos instead of standard setting options.
 
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I see people commenting with wallet and password apps, but do you realize the action button works without unlocking your phone?
 
KRN187 said:
I see people commenting with wallet and password apps, but do you realize the action button works without unlocking your phone?
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You scared me so I just tried it out with Wallet . The Action Button indeed opens it .
OTOH , I am using an All in one shortcut and it requires Face ID with it.
 
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