Apple will reportedly include the Action button on all four iPhone 16 models next year. The button, which allows iPhone users to select a specific task that will take place when the button is pressed, currently is found only on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Action button on all four iPhone 16 models will be a capacitive button compared to the current mechanical one.
The new Action button, developed under the codename Atlas, is said to work similarly to the Touch ID home button on the old iPhone. It will work by detecting a change in pressure. The new Capture button will work the same way says the report. although we still have no idea what that button will do for iPhone users. The Action button will also be found on the iPhone SE 4 expected in 2024 or 2025. If this information is accurate, this would mean that there are no iPhones in development with the original dedicated mute switch.
The iPhone 15 Pro models’ Action button is expected to have a new design and be included on all four iPhone 16 models
Apple has also been experimenting with different sizes for the next iteration of the Action button including one that is not only larger than the Action button currently in use on the iPhone 15 Pro models, it is roughly the size of the volume buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro. The new button has also been spotted on several iPhone 16 prototypes and mentioned in documentation for those phones.
The Action button currently offers these options (with one coming before the end of the year):
- Silent Mode – similar to the original “mute button,” this setting will mute/unmute the ringer and alerts.
- Flashlight – turns the iPhone flashlight on and off.
- Camera – launches the camera app to your choice of photo, selfie, video, portrait, or portrait selfie mode.
- Shortcuts – opens a shortcut from Shortcuts app; this could be the most useful action for the Action button.
- Voice Memo – starts/stops the recording of a voice memo.
- Focus – enable/disable a particular Focus mode.
- Accessibility features – enable/disable a particular accessibility feature.
- Magnifier – uses the camera as a magnifier through the Magnifier app.
- Translate (coming in iOS 17.2) – quick shortcut that opens the Translate app.
