The iPhone 16 is Getting a New Button: Here's What It Can Do

Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode.

iPhone 16 Pro Right Side Feature
Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to pressure. Here's everything the button will be able to do, according to rumors:

  • Lightly press on the button to autofocus while capturing an image or video.
  • Press harder on the button to take a photo.
  • Swipe left and right on the button to zoom in and out.
  • There may also be a gesture for switching between photo mode and video mode, similar to how you can capture a video with a press and swipe in the iPhone camera app.

The ability to autofocus with a light press on the button will be a gesture that DSLR camera owners are used to, as this is often how you autofocus when using a high-end camera.

Apple plans to put the button on the right side of the ‌iPhone‌, in the space where the mmWave antenna is on iPhones that are sold in the United States. The mmWave antenna will be moving to the left side of the device to make space.

The Capture Button has been depicted in CAD renders and dummy models of all four ‌iPhone‌ devices, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week suggested that there is a possibility that it will only be available on the Pro models.

With the Capture Button, Apple will be able to encourage users to take images and videos captured in landscape orientation, which are better viewed on the Vision Pro headset.

Along with a Capture Button, the ‌iPhone 16‌ models will feature slightly bigger displays, a new A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence, and 8GB RAM for all models, which is necessary to power Apple's AI models. For more on what's expected, make sure to check out our iPhone 16 roundup.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro

Popular Stories

iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History

Sunday March 16, 2025 10:35 am PDT by
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

Ultra-Thin 'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Include These 12 Features

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Bent iPhone Air Feature

Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0

Monday March 17, 2025 4:07 am PDT by
Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter: When it first started work on the phone, it prototyped a device with a 6.9-inch screen — matching...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Apple's First Foldable iPhone Estimated to Cost Nearly Twice as Much as iPhone 16 Pro Max

Monday March 17, 2025 6:42 am PDT by
In an investor research note today with British bank Barclays, analyst Tim Long said Apple's first foldable iPhone could have a starting price in the $2,300 range in the United States, which would make it by far the most expensive iPhone model ever. If the first foldable iPhone starts at $2,299, that means it would cost nearly twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. ...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Start at $899 With Surprisingly Good Battery Life, Camera Control, and More

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:05 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared some new details about the rumored iPhone 17 Air. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said he was told that the device may start at roughly $899 in the U.S., which means that it would occupy the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus. This would make sense, as it has been widely rumored that the Air model will take over the Plus model's spot in the iPhone...
apple surveyor app

Apple Launches 'Surveyor' App for Apple Maps Data Collection

Friday March 14, 2025 10:38 am PDT by
Apple today launched a new app called Surveyor, which is designed to allow users to collect data like images of street signs and roadside details to improve Apple Maps. The app is not public facing and appears to be for use with companies that Apple partners with to assign mapping tasks. Downloading the app and opening it up directs users to "Open Partner App" to choose a task. Tapping on...
iphone 16e usb c feature

'iPhone 17 Air' is Step Towards Slimmer iPhones Without USB-C Ports

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:36 am PDT by
Apple considered launching the iPhone 17 Air without a USB-C charging port, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said that while Apple ultimately decided against making the iPhone 17 Air its first iPhone model without a charging port, the idea is still on the table for future iPhone models. He said the iPhone 17 Air will "foreshadow a move to...

Top Rated Comments

felixroqu3 Avatar
8 months ago

and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date
This is too damn funny ?
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CharlesShaw Avatar
8 months ago
"No, mom. Look for another button above the one you just tried."
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
magicvash Avatar
8 months ago
so we’re back to adding buttons now?
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cjsuk Avatar
8 months ago
I think they should just get rid of them apart from the new action button.

1. Press it to put the phone on silent.
2. Roll your finger up to increase volume
3. Roll your finger down to instantly mute it.
4. Press towards one end to take a photo.
5. Press towards the other end to call 911.
6. Flick it to express dismay at the current app and rate it one star.
7. Lick it to order dinner.
8. Shout at it to summon Siri
9. Caress it slowly in circles to make a phone call.
10. Caress it slowly in circles in the opposite direction to set off an emergency alert.
11. Triple press it to unlock the phone
12. Double press it to turn flight mode on.
13. Tap -.-. .- -- . .-. .- to open the camera.

See look what you can do with just that one button!
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OnePieceIsReal Avatar
8 months ago
iPhone 18 going to have 10 buttons soon lol
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macford Avatar
8 months ago
Well this will be fun for case manufacturers.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)