First seen on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, this adaptable button replaced the previous mute switch and provided a number of customizing possibilities.
In Pro models, Apple has already swapped out the mute switch for the Action button; it wouldn’t be shocking if future base models did the same.
It can be set up to carry out a variety of tasks.
Since at least 2021, the Action button has been under development. It was first intended to be included with the haptic volume and power buttons on the iPhone 15 Pro models.
But only the Action button made it into the finished version due to technological difficulties.
The iPhone 15 Pro series has an interchangeable button that can be set to do a number of functions, including Focus, Voice Memo, Silent Mode, Flashlight, Camera, Shortcuts, Accessibility features, Magnifier, and Translate (which will be available in iOS 17.2).
Apple may move away from mechanical buttons and toward capacitive ones.
Apple hopes to improve the Action button on the iPhone 16 range by converting it from a mechanical to a capacitive button.
This new button, codenamed Atlas, will function similarly to the Force Touch trackpad on newer MacBooks or the Touch ID Home button on older iPhones.
The force sensor on the redesigned Action button will be able to sense variations in pressure and provide “tact-switching functionality,” but it is unclear exactly what this means.
The Action button will also be present on the fourth-generation iPhone SE.
The Action button has been a feature of the base model iPhone 16 ever since it was introduced. It has been mentioned in internal literature and on several iPhone 16 prototype devices.
Apple has experimented with different button sizes; some prototypes were bigger and resembled volume buttons.
The Action button will also be present in the affordable iPhone SE fourth-generation, which is scheduled to release in 2025. This will essentially phase out the separate mute switch from all upcoming iPhone models that are presently under development.
A few individuals voiced their displeasure with the removal of the mute switch.
Users have a great deal of customization options when they click the Action button. Despite this, a few consumers stated that they preferred the iPhone 15 Pro models’ conventional mute switch.
While some people mentioned the physical joy of flipping a switch, others discovered that using the older mute switch made it easier to visually assess whether the iPhone is on silent.
Although consumers frequently object to Apple’s hardware modifications at first, they usually find them to be beneficial because the business smoothly incorporates them into its software.