iOS 17.2 Beta Adds Translate Option for Action Button - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 17.2 Beta Adds Translate Option for Action Button

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users can select a new "Translate" option for the Action Button with the new iOS 17.2 beta. Apple promised that a Translate option was coming for the Action Button, but said that it would not be available right when the new iPhones launched in September.

ios 17 translate
When the Action Button is set as Translate, pressing to hold causes the iPhone to pop up a Translate window that listens for spoken text. It is able to translate from one set language to another, using the languages that you have previously set up in the Translate app.

The languages you translate between can be changed by selecting different languages in the Translate app. The Translate app supports Chinese, English, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

To choose the Translate option for the Action Button, open up the Settings app, scroll down to Action Button, and then swipe through until you get to the Translate function.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

Friday July 24, 2026 7:26 pm PDT by
It is now late July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are less than two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro...
macbook ultra

'MacBook Ultra' Coming Soon With These 12 New Features

Friday July 24, 2026 6:00 pm PDT by
Apple's first high-end MacBook redesign in five years is expected to arrive in the near future, bringing a run of firsts to the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the laptop to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027, with the later window now looking more likely owing to the global memory chip shortage. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects mass production to begin by late 2026. Apple last...
5 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 17 Now Feature

5 Reasons to Buy the iPhone 17 Now Instead of Waiting for iPhone 18

Thursday July 23, 2026 8:26 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models and its first foldable are less than two months from being unveiled. That may sound like a reason to sit tight if you're looking to upgrade from an iPhone 16 or older series, but between looming price hikes and Apple's new split-launch calendar, there's a decent case for grabbing an iPhone 17 series model right now. Here are five reasons in favor of putting your order ...

Top Rated Comments

Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
36 months ago
“Mister Spock, analysis please”

“Well Jim according to my calculations, Siri is still just as bad.”
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chalkdiesel Avatar
36 months ago
That's cool but I'm eyeing the wallpaper right now!!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
36 months ago

This appears to be the glaring omission to me as well. The button should be capable of at least three configurations. Press, long press and double press.

Example:

Press = mute

Long press = translate

Double press = flashlight
Press needs to be long press to prevent accidental trigger.

But surely, the Action button should be able to support click-then-hold and double-clicks-then-hold.

Alternatively, different Action button trigger for different focus mode.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
appleguy123 Avatar
36 months ago
90 day fiancé just got way less interesting.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tweaknmod Avatar
36 months ago
As someone whose in-laws all speak another language, this is spectacular news!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
36 months ago

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max users can select a new "Translate" option for the Action Button with the new iOS 17.2 beta. Apple promised that a Translate option was coming for the Action Button, but said that it would not be available right when the new iPhones launched in September.



When the Action Button is set as Translate, pressing to hold causes the iPhone to pop up a Translate window that listens for spoken text. It is able to translate from one set language to another, using the languages that you have previously set up in the Translate app.

The languages you translate between can be changed by selecting different languages in the Translate app. The Translate app supports Chinese, English, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.

To choose the Translate option for the Action Button, open up the Settings app, scroll down to Action Button, and then swipe through until you get to the Translate function.

Article Link: iOS 17.2 Beta Adds Translate Option for Action Button ('https://www.macrumors.com/2023/10/26/ios-17-2-translate-action-button/')
Apple needs to do more with the action button, like a different option with a double tap. Perhaps that’s in the works?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)