In defense of the iPhone Action Button

Apple’s announcement past week that the Action Button is now connected each of its iPhone 16 models, alternatively than conscionable the Pro exemplary that the fastener debuted connected past year, was a small overshadowed by the preamble of the Camera Control button — a capacitive, tactile fastener for launching and controlling the iPhone 16’s camera. But don’t fto that fool you: the Action Button is still 1 of the astir powerful features Apple has added to its phones successful years.

One very evident usage of the fastener is to link it to the iPhone’s camera app, letting you property and clasp to unfastened the app, past property erstwhile much to return a picture. But does that mean the Camera Control fastener has made it obsolete? I don’t deliberation so.

By default, the Action Button serves arsenic a shut up toggle — it did switch the shut up switch, aft each — that you property and clasp to shut up aliases unmute your phone. But too that and utilizing the camera, it tin do truthful overmuch more. To statesman with, you tin group it to do elemental things (by utilizing Settings > Action Button), for illustration flick connected the flashlight (or the torch, if you like), group a Focus Mode, aliases unfastened Apple’s Translate app. With iOS 18, Apple added the expertise to representation it to a Control Center action aliases admit a opus pinch Shazam.

But you tin spell measurement beyond simple. For me, it’s a measurement to thief maine usage my telephone less. I don’t mean walk less hours connected it — I mean it lets maine trim retired each the extraneous swiping and tapping that I person to do to transportation things retired connected my phone. It’s thing I’d been trying to fig retired done different means, for illustration adding Shortcuts to my homescreen, but the Action Button has been the missing portion of a puzzle I’d been piecing together for years.

Now I usage the fastener respective times a day: long-pressing it to get to an action that turns each the lights disconnected earlier I spell to bed; selecting aggregate AirPlay speakers astatine erstwhile successful an easy-to-use paper format that waits for maine to decorativeness choosing earlier it streams my audio to them; connecting to my AirPods erstwhile Apple’s auto-switching characteristic (all excessively frequently) doesn’t activity right.

I do each of this by mapping the fastener to a civilization Shortcut — Apple’s powerful automations app that comes included pinch each iPhone, iPad, and Mac. I usage a akin attack to erstwhile Verge reviews editor Dan Seifert, who wrote astir the button past year. Long-pressing the fastener runs a Shortcut that brings up a paper of immoderate of the astir communal actions I return connected my phone. These options tin do elemental things for illustration group my telephone to silent aliases unfastened the Find My app erstwhile I request to find my keys.

They besides trigger much analyzable actions. One of them brings up a speedy shape to adhd an assignment to my calendar, alternatively than having to unfastened the almanac app to do it. And erstwhile I pat “Play Podcasts,” it brings up a 2nd paper of each of the AirPlay targets successful my house. It’s cleanable for erstwhile I’m cleaning and I conscionable want to quickly get thing playing successful each room.

YouTuber Stephen Robles put together a video guide for creating a strategy for illustration this — and uploaded a template that you tin usage to get yourself started if you’d alternatively not statesman from scratch. That said, if you do want to do it yourself and don’t want to beryllium done Robles’ guide, I’ve written up immoderate basal instructions astatine the bottommost of the page.

Listeners connection caller ways to usage the Action Button

In a caller Vergecast episode, David said that readers of The Verge “overwhelmingly” told him they do not usage the Action Button. Not everybody is willing successful this benignant of streamlining, and that’s fine. But aft that episode, my group — the nerds who emotion coming up pinch obtuse and clever ways to usage the Action Button — posted to societal media astir really they usage it.

Here are immoderate of my individual favorites:

This personification astir apt utilized the “Open App” Shortcuts action for this, and I’m afloat connected committee pinch that.

This person’s friend tin conscionable long-press the Action Button pinch their telephone successful their pocket, and it will automatically nonstop a bosom emoji to their girlfriend. All-time awesome use, particularly if you activity a beingness occupation wherever your hands are ever soiled and you conscionable want your important different to cognize you’re reasoning astir them.

This use, from a remark connected the YouTube upload of that Vergecast episode, takes advantage of the truth that Shortcuts tin trigger different actions based connected the predisposition of your phone. So this personification made their Action Button a context-sensitive automation trigger. Fantastic.

It’s not that the Action Button is perfect. I still wish that Apple had added different options, for illustration the expertise to transportation retired different tasks by double- aliases triple-tapping it. But arsenic it stands, the Action Button is the sleeper car of features — unassuming, yet much powerful than it seems astatine first glance.

What I’ve written present only scratches the surface. How do you, beloved Verge reader, consciousness astir the Action Button, and really person you utilized it? Let america cognize successful the comments.