Apple will reportedly eliminate the Action button in 2027
Macworld ·
Macworld Do you use the Action Button? With the iPhone 15 Pro and every model after, Apple replaced the mute switch (an iPhone staple since the original) with a programmable button. It doesn’t seem to be very popular. Most users seem to just leave it as a Mute toggle, and even then you see people just using the volume buttons to quiet their iPhone. A new leak from popular Weibo account Instant Digital claims that Apple is going to get rid of it starting with the phones coming in the second half of 2027. Other iPhone models would lose the button over time, as their physical enclosures are updated. Apple will combine the function of the Action button with the Camera button, according to the leak. You press the Camera button to launch the camera (or press the shutter if you have a camera app/mode open) and you long-press the button to perform the Action button function. A long-press of the Action button used to invoke Visual Intelligence. When that feature went underutilized, Apple added it as a new “Siri” mode in the Camera app. Now, a long-press on the Camera button opens the Camera app to the Siri mode, which could be confusing as it looks very close to just opening the camera in general. The rumored change would eliminate that issue by taking away the current Camera > Siri default action for holding down the Action button, and replacing it the Mute toggle or other action of your choosing.