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The iPhone 15 Pro's New Action Button: What to Expect

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Apr 12, 2001
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Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models will introduce a new Action button that will replace the traditional Ring/Silent switch – a staple of the iPhone since it launched in 2007. Here's what you can expect to do with it.

iPhone-15-Pro-Two-Volume-Buttons-and-Titanium-Feature-Blue-Green.jpg

Like the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra, the new Action button that will be exclusive to Apple's premium iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models is expected to be a mechanical push button giving users with the ability to manually enable one of several customizable functions.

Based on code found in the iOS 17 beta by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, the Action button will be able to turn on the following options, which users can customize in Settings and assign to different actions.
  • Accessibility: Access to various accessibility settings, such as VoiceOver, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, and more.
  • Shortcuts: 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: Launch the Camera app and/or take a photo or video 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.
The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models are expected to keep the traditional Ring/Silent switch, making the "Action" button one of the key differentiating features of the ‌iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max that will also make the new models‌ stand out from their predecessors.


Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup is just hours away. The company's "Wonderlust" event begins Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Alongside the iPhone 15 series, Apple is expected to announce Apple Watch Series 9, a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, and potentially other products during the event.
For more details on what to expect, check out our rumor roundup pages for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, and stay tuned for our in-depth coverage of Apple's announcements throughout the week.

Article Link: The iPhone 15 Pro's New Action Button: What to Expect
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/09/12/the-iphone-15-pros-new-action-button-what-to-expect/
J

jecowa

macrumors regular
Mar 15, 2006
217
346
abatabia said:
Am I the only one who prefers the mute switch? Maybe I’m old but I actually have the ringer on when I’m home. This smells like a gimmick to detract from the fact that this isn’t all THAT much of an upgrade.
Click to expand...

As long as we have some kind of mute option in Control Center, I think that's fine. It was kind of hard to flip the mute switch with a case on. I'm worried I'll get the action button mixed up with the volume buttons now, though.
 
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T

Torty

macrumors 65816
Oct 16, 2013
1,090
830
coredev said:
Let's face it, camera is the most important feature of the iPhone nowadays.
It is the single feature being updated with _every_ release.
Click to expand...
Reading the forum and media this time it’s USB-C. The 16 must come with a lot of new features to attract new buyers. Every new feature now is somehow wasted because people are buying for USB-C only. Interestingly the biggest new feature didn’t even come from apple.
 
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HiRez

HiRez

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
6,250
2,576
Western US
coredev said:
I like the mute switch as it is for a simple reason.
Having the phone in my pocket, I can turn on/off Mute without looking and knowing for sure which state the phone is in.
With a toggle button, this will be a lot harder to do.
Click to expand...
Probably will have a way to confirm the new state through sound or vibration patterns.

There’s several things I’d want this button to do so hopefully there are options for tap, double-tap, long-press, etc. (can be unassigned if you don’t want any of that).
 
M

maciek.

macrumors newbie
Sep 12, 2023
1
0
If I may say so, using action button in place of mute switch to take photos would be totally stupid. If i turn my phone to the right, put my index finger on imaginary action button, my middle finger lays directly over the lenses.
 
Ifti

Ifti

macrumors 68040
Dec 14, 2010
3,940
2,449
UK
I never use the mute switch. I always use control center TBH. I wont miss the mute switch at all.
 
Ifti

Ifti

macrumors 68040
Dec 14, 2010
3,940
2,449
UK
judgeFire said:
Hitting the action button once to open the camera and then again to take a photo would be great. Hitting the action button once and it immediately taking a photo, regardless of what app you were in, would be impressive.
Click to expand...

This.
I would most likely set the action button just to quickly open the camera app. Even better if it can be used to open the camera app with a specific mode/settings active.
 
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MrENGLISH

MrENGLISH

macrumors 65816
Apr 18, 2009
1,014
3,740
Torty said:
The decision for implementation was done by EU politicians not by apple designers.
Click to expand...
You don't think Phil Schiller, head of marketing at the time, put Apple in a corner when he said Apple would be supporting it for the next 10 years back at Apple's iPhone Event in 2012? I'm not saying that was the only thing holding them back. I think Apple's MFI program was a HUGE part of that. But I think the EU had a much smaller role in the switch. It ain't like Apple is new to USB-C.
 
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M

M1 Max

macrumors newbie
Oct 19, 2021
27
77
I haven't seen anything on it lately but I think the biggest change will be on the GPU side. Last year something went wrong and they reverted to the previous GPU so I am expecting quite a leap, especially in combination with 3nm. Also there were rumours on Raytracing.
 
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M

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,159
judgeFire said:
Hitting the action button once to open the camera and then again to take a photo would be great. Hitting the action button once and it immediately taking a photo, regardless of what app you were in, would be impressive.
Click to expand...
i hope not...since that action button should also apply silent mode
I hope double tap to put the phone into silent mode or vice versa
We have enough of the camera actions...swipe left to right you go into camera..you have left bot button on the homescreen to also activate the camera....i think Apple should remove the swipe
 
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M

MayaUser

macrumors 68030
Nov 22, 2021
2,869
6,159
Torty said:
The decision for implementation was done by EU politicians not by apple designers.
Click to expand...
usbC was Apple Intel and others implementation and invention, check introduction also for the 12" Macbook
Also if the EU wanted to show its power would have done this for 2020 not for 2024...not now when its already too late..probably Apple would have removed the lightning next year at most
 
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