Apple's new entry-level iPhone 16e has inherited the Action button first seen on the iPhone 15 Pro and now found on all iPhone 16 models. The Action button replaces the traditional Ring/Silent switch – a staple of the iPhone since it launched in 2007. For users unfamiliar with the Action button, here's a rundown of its functions – including one that is (currently) exclusive to iPhone 16e.
The Action button replaces the single-function switch used to toggle between ring and silent, offering additional options so users can choose between quickly accessing the camera or flashlight, activate Voice Memos, Focus modes, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier. Users can also associate it with Shortcuts for more options.
A press-and-hold gesture with fine-tuned haptic feedback ensure the new Action button launches the intended action, which you can customize in Settings and assign to different actions.
Action Button Functions
Here's what the Action button can be programmed to do:
- Accessibility: Access to various accessibility settings, such as VoiceOver, Zoom, AssistiveTouch, Live Speech, and more.
- Shortcuts: Open your favorite app, or 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, you can toggle silent mode on or off, which will mute or unmute the ringer and alerts.
- Camera: Take a photo, selfie, video, portrait, or portrait selfie 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.
Action Button Control Center Options
In iOS 18, you can assign the Action button to one of the dozens of controls available in the Control Center gallery, allowing the Action button to invoke Dark Mode, Airplane Mode, Personal Hotspot, and more.
Available Control Center actions in iOS 18 include:
- Calculator
- Stopwatch
- Alarm
- Home
- Timer
- Dark Mode
- Scan Code
- Airplane Mode
- Cellular Data
- Personal Hotspot
- Dark Mode
- Quick Note
- Remote
- Wallet
- Tap to Cash
- Ping My Watch
- Visual Intelligence
The last assignable Action button option in the list, Visual Intelligence, is an Apple Intelligence feature that was previously exclusive to iPhone 16 models with a Camera Control button, which the iPhone 16e does not have. It was thought that the extra button was necessary to activate the feature, but on iPhone 16e, Visual Intelligence can be assigned to the device's Action button or enabled via Control Center.
On iPhone 16 models, Visual Intelligence lets you use the camera to learn more about places and objects around you. It can also summarize text, read text out loud, translate text, search Google for items, ask ChatGPT, and more. Apple has confirmed that Visual Intelligence is also coming to the iPhone 15 Pro in a future software update.
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