iPhone 15 Pro enjoyers: six months from launch, what are you using the action button for?

[ghostcrew]

The action button on the iPhone 15 Pro was much discussed at launch. A customisable button to replace the mute toggle, with tons of uses available through fun iPhone shortcuts.

I remember a load of guides and how tos around launch, with threads of shortcuts that all fed into one crazy programmed action. Tilt your phone this way and it does x, turn your phone that way and it does y.

When it came down to it, though... I realised that I just wanted a physical mute button, so I kept mine as the mute/unmute function.

How about you? What am I missing out on?

The Action Button is the most significant new iPhone feature in years

Programmable hardware buttons rule.

www.theverge.com

 

[Anth0ny]

kept it as mute/unmute lol

so significant

 

[Humidex]

The flash light.

I'm more annoyed that they've not given us many options for the same button on the AW Ultra (like triggering the camera shutter).

 

[Briareos]

I don't even know what you're talking about, that isn't the mute button?

I'd love to disable the lock button when in camera mode and instead have it mean take picture, but haven't looked up if that is possible yet.

 

[Dimensional Fortress]

Camera quick launch

 

[I Don't Like]

I don't even know what you're talking about, that isn't the mute button?

I'd love to disable the lock button when in camera mode and instead have it mean take picture, but haven't looked up if that is possible yet.

Click to shrink...

I assume you know the volume up and down buttons already do that?

 

[It’s Time To Go]

Literally nothing. I keep forgetting it's even there.

 

[Scullibundo]

Camera quick launch

Click to shrink...

This

 

[Lowrys]

I use it to mute my kids instead. Super handy.

 

[RBH]

Mute button

 

[HemoGoblin]

Start my pocket cast podcast. Use it constantly

 

[Ambitious]

I used to use it for toggling the rotation lock, but the only two apps where I want it to be unlocked are Photos and YouTube, so I just set up a shortcut automation instead. So at the moment, I'm not using the button at all.

 

[Applesauce]

I still use it as silent mode toggle, but wish they'd add a 2nd option with double click. Maybe in a future OS update

 

[Vertpin]

Silent switch.

Spoiler

I just got my 15 Pro Max yesterday

 

[Milk]

Flashlight gang

 

[ghostcrew]

I still use it as silent mode toggle, but wish they'd add a 2nd option with double click. Maybe in a future OS update

Click to shrink...

Would love a double click option.

 

[Corran Horn]

Nothing. Only time's I hit it is when I meant to hit volume up.

 

[HeartlessNobody2134]

Use it for putting the phone on silent.

 

[Ambitious]

I still use it as silent mode toggle, but wish they'd add a 2nd option with double click. Maybe in a future OS update

Click to shrink...

Would love a double click option.

Click to shrink...

Single click, double click, hold. That would be perfect. I'd use it to open the camera, open the camera in selfie mode, and open the camera in video mode, respectively.

But the next iPhone generation will have a "Capture" button; maybe that one does exactly this.

 

[DECK’ARD]

Literally nothing. I keep forgetting it's even there.

Click to shrink...

Most people do.

Is Action Button Coming to iPhone 16? New Poll Reveals What Social Media People Say About this Feature

According to the latest poll conducted by MacRumors, most respondents often forget that the Action button exists in the iPhone 15 Pro.

www.techtimes.com

According to feedback from over 7,000 MacRumors readers, opinions on the Action button vary widely. While over half of respondents (50.6%) admit to forgetting about its existence, a significant portion (26.8%) use it occasionally for tasks like accessing the camera or flashlight.

Click to shrink...

 

[Addie]

Accidentally hitting it when I want to adjust the volume.

 

[Mini-Me]

Nothing. I'm always on silent and I have too much muscle memory to switch from just tapping the camera icon on the lock screen to bring it up (I don't use the camera enough anyways). Couldn't think of anything else to use it for.

 

[Puggles]

Nothing. Just accidentally turning on the camera because I forget it's there

 

[Kemal86]

I have it set up to open a little 'control center' of different shortcuts, but i honestly do not ever use it.

what i really want is for the volume and sleep/wake buttons to not be on opposite sides of the device, cause my to take a screenshot every time i grasp the phone. just the worst hardware decision.

 

[Mango Pilot]

Mute

 

[dark494]

I don't get the point of using it for flashlight or camera, since there's already several shortcuts to those everywhere

 

[Kyuuji]

Flashlight, use it all the time.

 

[Masterz1337]

Mute, I hate it. Bring back the switch please!

 

[Katbobo]

i legitimately forgot about it until i saw this thread

held it and it looks like i had it bound to camera

 

[Giolon]

It's still my mute switch. I'd like to use it for more, but I need the physical mute function. I wish it had been an additional button instead of a replacement.

 

[hummingW]

Mute / Unmute. I miss the switch to be honest :( I used to be able to feel my phone in my pocket to see if it was on silent or ring. This button has just pushed me to have my phone on silent 99% of time..

 

[Hollywood Duo]

Never used it, whoops

 

[Applesauce]

Single click, double click, hold. That would be perfect. I'd use it to open the camera, open the camera in selfie mode, and open the camera in video mode, respectively.

But the next iPhone generation will have a "Capture" button; maybe that one does exactly this.

Click to shrink...

I just assumed single click was not going to happen because of accidental clicks. Like the other side button is limited to lock / unlock with single clicks.

 

[Muu]

I have it set to camera which works reasonably well

 

[Dranakin]

Google Calendar, today's schedule

I check 9 calendars probably 20-30 times a day, so this was the logical choice.

 

[SwampBastard]

Camera quick launch

Click to shrink...

This, but it sucks. I really miss double tapping the power button on my Pixel to launch the camera.

 

[Tobor]

Camera, and I love it.

Popping the camera and having my finger already on the shutter is great.

 

[livefromphilly]

I set it to open a menu that has mute, rotation lock, camera, Shazam, Alexa, and Translate.

 

[BLEEN]

Need that double click, triple click action.

 

[NotVeryFriendly]

I have it tied to a shortcut which mutes/unmutes the phone if the device is in portrait mode, and opens the camera if it's in landscape mode.

 

[Easy_G]

Do you guys know about the Back Tap option in Accessibility? You can define both a double tap and a triple tap to do plenty of things. Same goes for the side button (not the action button).

I have mine set to switch the screen to black and white on double tap, as a way to occasionally discourage myself from using the phone too much (it's difficult and boring in black and white).

 

[vixolus]

Man, I was thinking of this exact thread idea yesterday 😂 I just use it as a silent/ringer toggle like usual. I haven't done anything fancy with it. Same with Dynamic Island stuff. It's neat seeing stuff pop up there like from Starbucks, or audio call stuff, but it hasn't been wildly transformative.

 

[Tobor]

Why would you ever turn the ringer on, though?

 

[AgeEighty]

It's mute still.

 

[vixolus]

Why would you ever turn the ringer on, though?

Click to shrink...

my only reason is when I am on-call

 

[Strider_Blaze]

Silent mode. So convenient.

 

[Patrick Klepek]

I wish it was on the other side :/

 

[Tobor]

my only reason is when I am on-call

Click to shrink...

If it's once in a blue moon like that, just do it from control center. It's a waste of a whole button, which is kinda the point.

I use the camera all the time.

 

[Dozer]

6 months later and they never added a long press/short press split function option?

 

[G_Shumi]

I use it for Shazaming songs. It's great especially when a song is close to finishing.