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.

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Top Rated Comments

abatabia Avatar
24 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
24 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
24 months ago
That’ll now be 4️⃣ ways to launch the camera app from the lockscreen.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
24 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
24 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
24 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)