When the iPhone 16 series rolled out, Apple brought the Action Button to all four devices instead of keeping it exclusive to Pro models.
With new Control Center options, the Action Button opens up a lot more possibilities.
MacRumors shared a list of the extensive things you can now assign to the iPhone 16's Action Button, including:
- Silent Mode: Toggle silent mode on or off, replacing the old Mute switch. It's more useful for people who regularly switch between sound and silent modes rather than those who remain mostly on silent mode.
- Focus: You can set the Action Button to toggle any Focus mode you’ve set up.
- Flashlight: A quicker way to access the flashlight without having to go through the Lock Screen.
- Recognise music: Basically, a faster way to activate Shazam.
- Translator: It listens and provides a translation instantly, without opening the full Translate app. It can even speak the translation aloud but there are some limitations on language.
- Magnifier: Opens the Camera app with a zoom level for magnifying small text. You can adjust brightness and contrast and use the flash for better visibility.
- Accessibility: You can set the Action Button to any Accessibility feature like Zoom, Voice Control, Apple Watch Mirroring, and Guided Access.
- No Action: If you don’t want the button to do anything, you can set it to "No Action."
It can even handle shortcuts to open several different apps.
Third-party apps ChatGPT and Amazon's Audible can be opened at the press of the Action Button so long as they are set up in the shortcuts menu.
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The list extends to other shortcuts like setting timers, starting a Google Search, playing a podcast, turning on Apple TV, starting a FaceTime and much more.
People have taken to online communities like Reddit to share their unique setups for the Action Button.
The first user replied with their own strategy, writing: "I have mine set to run a shortcut that gets the current focus mode and does different actions based on it.
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-In Work focus, it opens Google Authenticator.
-In Sleep focus, it toggles Flashlight.
-In any other focus (or no focus), it opens Calculator."
"These are the ideas I'm here for," the second said in response to the comment.
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Someone else added: "Mine is set depending on the orientation of my phone.
Portrait = Flashlight Landscape = Camera".
Another chimed in: "I made a folder of music shortcuts (add song to library, play various stations and playlist etc), loving it so far!!"