How to customize the Action button on your iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max

Fast fix 

Open Settings > Action Button, and swipe to an action like Camera or Flashlight to set up a shortcut for the Action Button on your iPhone 15 Pro or Max. 

Have you heard about the new Action button on the iPhone® 15 Pro and Pro Max? This feature provides a one-touch shortcut for tasks like taking photos or listening to music. We'll show you how to make it work for you. 

At Asurion, we help people make the most of their tech daily. Whether you're looking for tips to make your iPhone battery last longer or you want to hide messages on your Lock Screen, we can help. Here's our guide on how to use the Action button on your iPhone 15 Pro. 

How to set up the Action button 

The Action button replaced the Ring/Silent switch, located directly above the volume buttons on the left side of your device, from earlier iPhone models. You can still use the Action button to change the ringer settings on your phone. Or, you can go to Action Button Settings and assign one shortcut to the physical button, like launching your Camera app or turning on your phone's flashlight. 

Here's how: 

1. Open Settings > Action Button. 
2. An image of the side of your iPhone appears with an icon of a task you can assign to the Action button. The icon's name (Camera, Silent mode, etc.) appears below the dots. 
3. To select an action, swipe to the one you want to use. 
4. If you see an up and down arrow at the bottom of the screen, tap it for more options. For example, tap the arrows for Focus mode to choose between Do Not Disturb, Driving, Sleep, etc.  

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Actions you can assign to your customizable Action Button 

Here are the actions you can choose from:

• Silent mode. Turn Silent mode on or off. 
• Focus mode. Turn notifications on or off. 
• Camera. Open the camera app to take a photo or video instantly. 
• Flashlight. Turn the flashlight on or off. 
• Voice Memo. Start or stop recording a voice memo. 
• Magnifier. Open the Magnifier app. 
• Translate. Translate speech from one language to another. 
• Accessibility options: Quickly access your favorite accessibility feature. 
• No Action. Do nothing.  

How to change the action you assigned to the Action Button 

If you want to assign a different task to the Action button, open Settings > Action Button and swipe the new action you want to choose.  

How to choose actions using the Shortcuts app

If there's an action you'd like to assign to your Action button that isn't available in Settings, like starting your favorite playlist or checking your health and fitness stats, you can use the Shortcuts app. 

Use one of the pre-existing shortcuts available in the Shortcuts Gallery or set up your own shortcuts in the app. Then, set up your shortcut so it opens when you push your Action button: 

1. Open Settings > Action Button and swipe to Shortcuts. 
2. Select the shortcut of your choice. 

How to use the Action button 

Once you've paired your Action button with a task, here's how to use it: 

1. Press and hold the Action button.  
2. It will perform the task you assigned to it in Settings. 
3. If you didn't pair your Action button with a task by default, you can still use it to turn your ringer on or off.