Apple shocked the world by announcing the iPhone 15 series without the much-loved Mute Switch. Instead, we get an Action Button. What is an Action Button? What does it do? Let’s discuss.
Apple brought the biggest change to iPhones since introducing the dynamic island – USB Type C port. But that’s not the only big change that Apple brings to the table with the iPhone 15 series. Apple has replaced the Mute Switch with a new Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
So, what’s new with the Action Button, and what does it do? Let’s discuss.
Action Button – What Is It?
The new action button in iPhones is a new configurable button that can be configured for performing various tasks instead of the fixed function of the Mute Switch.
You can use the action button for various tasks instead of just muting your phone. You must hold down the Action Button for muting the phone until you get the haptic feedback.
Not all iPhone 15 series phones have the new Action Button; only the Pro models – iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have the new button.
The Action Button is placed in the exact same spot as the Mute Switch, so you can still make the phone silent by pressing it instead of the old switch.
If the Action Button name seems familiar, Apple Watch Ultra also features a customizable Action Button. It is carried over to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 as well.
In Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Action Button is colored orange, while in iPhone 15 Pro models, the color of the Action Button is the same as the body color of the phone.
Action Button Functions
Hold down the Action Button to launch various actions. Here is the complete list of actions that can be configured for the Action Button.
- Silent mode – Turns your phone into silent mode.
- Focus – Turn on Focus mode on your iPhone.
- Camera – You can set the Action Button to open the camera.
- Flashlight – Turn on or off the flash using the Action Button.
- Voice memos – You can quickly record a new idea as a voice memo.
- Translate – Open the Translate app and start the translation with the touch of a button.
- Magnifier – Open the Magnifier app to zoom in on small objects or texts with the touch of a button.
- Siri shortcuts – You can start Siri shortcuts by pressing the Action Button. You can start your favorite app or launch your custom shortcuts. You can run a shortcut created in or downloaded from the Shortcuts app. This opens up the possibility of the Action Button to a wide variety of tasks, such as starting a call, starting a playlist, or even controlling your smart lamp.
- Accessibility – Start with your favorite accessibility features, such as VoiceOver, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, and more.
Conclusion
The Mute Switch has been a staple of the iPhones since 2007; replacing this will be controversial. But the new Action Button brings a lot of new functionalities that Mute Switch was never able to offer.
When used appropriately, the Action Button can transform how you use your iPhone forever. For example, if you set the Action Button to open the cameras, you won’t have to unlock your phone to open the camera; you just need to press the button, and you’ll be ready to take a phone by the time you take out the phone from your pocket. The possibilities are endless, as Siri shortcuts can be configured for Action Button!
