The iPhone 15 Pro's New Action Button: What to Expect

Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models will introduce a new Action button that will replace the traditional Ring/Silent switch – a staple of the iPhone since it launched in 2007. Here's what you can expect to do with it.

iPhone 15 Pro Two Volume Buttons and Titanium Feature Blue Green
Like the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra, the new Action button that will be exclusive to Apple's premium iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models is expected to be a mechanical push button giving users with the ability to manually enable one of several customizable functions.

Based on code found in the iOS 17 beta by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, the Action button will be able to turn on the following options, which users can customize in Settings and assign to different actions.

  • Accessibility: Access to various accessibility settings, such as VoiceOver, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, and more.
  • Shortcuts: Run a shortcut created in or downloaded from the Shortcuts app, such as sending a message, playing a playlist, or controlling smart home devices.
  • Silent Mode: Like the Ring/Silent switch on existing iPhone models, toggle silent mode on or off, which will mute or unmute the ringer and alerts.
  • Camera: Launch the Camera app and/or take a photo or video with a single press of the Action button.
  • Flashlight: Turn on or off the flashlight on the back of the device.

  • Focus: Activate or deactivate a Focus mode.
  • Magnifier: Activate the Magnifier app to use the iPhone's camera as a magnifying glass to zoom in on small text or objects.
  • Translate: Launch the Translate app and start a conversation or text translation with a single press of the Action button.
  • Voice Memos: Start or stop recording a voice memo with the Voice Memos app.

The standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models are expected to keep the traditional Ring/Silent switch, making the "Action" button one of the key differentiating features of the ‌iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max that will also make the new models‌ stand out from their predecessors.


Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup is just hours away. The company's "Wonderlust" event begins Tuesday, September 12, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Alongside the iPhone 15 series, Apple is expected to announce Apple Watch Series 9, a second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, and potentially other products during the event.

For more details on what to expect, check out our rumor roundup pages for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, and stay tuned for our in-depth coverage of Apple's announcements throughout the week.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full iOS 18.5 Release Notes

Tuesday May 6, 2025 2:17 pm PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week. With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
siri glow

iPhone Users Now Able to Submit Claims in $95 Million Siri Spying Lawsuit

Wednesday May 7, 2025 11:40 am PDT by
If you owned a Siri-compatible device and had an accidental Siri activation between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024, you could be eligible for a payment from Apple as part of a class action lawsuit settlement. Apple in January agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving Siri spying accusations, and a website to distribute the funds has now been set up and...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17: What's New With the Cameras

Friday May 2, 2025 3:52 pm PDT by
We've still got months to go before the new iPhone 17 models come out, but a combination of dummy models and leaks have given us some insight into what we can expect in terms of camera changes. Apple is adding new camera features, and changing the design of the camera bump for some models. You might be skeptical of dummy models, but over the years, they've proven to be a highly accurate...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.5 Coming Soon, Here is What's New

Monday May 5, 2025 8:19 am PDT by
In its press release for the new Pride Band today, Apple said that iOS 18.5 is "upcoming," following more than a month of beta testing. We expect the iOS 18.5 Release Candidate to be released this week, and this should be the final beta version, barring any last-minute bugs or changes. The software update should then be released to the general public next week. iOS 18.5 is a relatively...
Nineth iOS 19 Feature

iOS 19 Beta is a Month Away With These New Features for Your iPhone

Thursday May 8, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is just one month away, and there are already many new features and changes that are expected with it. Apple should seed the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Said to Have Two Key Advantages

Monday May 5, 2025 6:41 am PDT by
Apple plans to release its first foldable iPhone next year, according to several reporters and analysts who cover the company. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the foldable iPhone will offer two key advantages over other foldable smartphones. First, he said the foldable iPhone will have a "nearly invisible" crease when unfolded. This means the device's...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Apple's Foldable iPhone Display Tech May Set New Industry Standard

Thursday May 8, 2025 3:29 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will feature a new type of display panel developed by Samsung that has never been used in a foldable product, claims a source with links to Apple's supply chain. According to the account yeux1122 on the Korean Naver blog, the foldable iPhone will use a custom display process for which Apple will hold branding trademark rights, and that meets Apple's stringent ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

abatabia Avatar
22 months ago
Am I the only one who prefers the mute switch? Maybe I’m old but I actually have the ringer on when I’m home. This smells like a gimmick to detract from the fact that this isn’t all THAT much of an upgrade.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coredev Avatar
22 months ago
I like the mute switch as it is for a simple reason.
Having the phone in my pocket, I can turn on/off Mute without looking and knowing for sure which state the phone is in.
With a toggle button, this will be a lot harder to do.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redbeard331 Avatar
22 months ago
That’ll now be 4️⃣ ways to launch the camera app from the lockscreen.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
22 months ago
Not going to lie... I'm going to miss the classic iPhone's Mute Button. It will always be iconic! So long ??

Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrENGLISH Avatar
22 months ago
All those options and the one I'll most likely set it to is Silent Mode ?‍♂️ ?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
abatabia Avatar
22 months ago

All those options and the one I'll most likely set it to is Silent Mode ?‍♂️ ?
Exactly. Another thing that will be discussed endlessly for the next month by the usual YouTube suspects and then largely forgotten about. Yet another Touch Bar.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)