Can do almost anything — tips for set up the iPhone Action button

The Action button is available in almost all of Apple’s latest iPhone models and allows you to access a convenient function, app, or shortcut with a single touch. For example, you can switch on a flashlight, launch a smart home scenario, or use any shortcut without having to unlock the phone and browse applications.

Engadget tells you how else you can use the Action button.

How to use the Action Button

On iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and iPhone 16e, you can activate the Action Button by pressing or holding the small button above the volume rocker on the left side of the device. By default, the button switches notifications and call sounds on or off, acting as a traditional ringer switch. If you want to change its purpose, just open Settings and find the Action Button section. There you can assign a new action to the button, and there is always the Control Panel to mute it.

How to reassign an Action Button to a flashlight

Apple offers several built-in ways to use the Action Button:

• silent (ring/silent);
• focus (specific focus mode or menu selection);
• camera (in particular for photos or videos);
• flashlight;
• music recognition;
• translation;
• magnifier;
• switching on a specific item from a "Control Panel" such as "Airplane mode";
• shortcut, accessibility (enabling a specific accessibility feature);
• the option not to perform any action.

If you want to switch from the standard silent mode to the flashlight, you first need to unlock your iPhone. Then:

• open Settings;
• press "Action Button";
• scroll through the available options and select "Flashlight";
• to test it, shortly press the Action Button.

You can assign other built-in options to the button in the same way.

How to set up Action Button to open an application

What’s more, Action Button can launch specific applications on your phone. Let’s say you want to instantly open your favourite game. To do this:

• unlock your iPhone;
• go to Settings;
• select "Action Button";
• scroll down the list of options to Shortcut;
• tap "Select a shortcut...";
• find "Open application...";
• select the desired application from the list.

This method works with any installed application, even if you need to launch a specific mode (for example, voice mode in ChatGPT or create a new note in Notes).

How to assign a Shortcut to an Action Button

The Commands feature also supports more complex scenarios in Shortcuts. Basically, any shortcut that expects manual activation (rather than schedule or location triggers) is fine. For example, if you want a button press to immediately start a Pomodoro timer:

• unlock your iPhone;
• open Settings;
• select "Action Button";
• scroll to "Shortcuts";
• tap "Select a shortcut";
• select the desired Shortcut;
• press the Action button to make sure everything works.

In the case of the Pomodoro timer, you choose the duration, click Done, and the timer starts.

As a reminder, sometimes the iPhone may not work as expected. The reason may lie in the device’s settings and the user’s habits, which prevent the phone from unlocking its potential.

We also wrote that when you buy a new iPhone, switching to it can seem like a daunting task, especially if your previous device contains a lot of information. However, there are ways to make data transfer much easier.