Tο Action Button found this year on all four devices in the series iPhone 16 and not only in the Pro models as was the case last year with the iPhone 15.
At the same time, there is a new Camera Control button that eliminates the need to activate the camera with the Action Button, which was one of the most useful functions.
But what are the new options in Control Center with iOS 18 that you can set on the Action Button?
Basic Operations
Since the Action Button has been around since last year, Apple has many key functions that could be assigned to it.
Silent operation – This toggles silent mode on and off and is the replacement for the previous mute switch. This is useful if you often want to turn the sound on and have the option to turn it off.
Focus – You can set the Action Button to switch to any focus mode you have set. This is a good choice if you have a Do Not Disturb type of focus that you want to turn off and on throughout the day. Of course, focus modes can also be set to turn on and off at specific times, so they can be automated in other ways.
Camera – If you have an iPhone 16 with the Camera Control button, you don’t need to set the action button to open the camera, unless you want it to do something like open the selfie camera while the Camera Control button opens the rear camera. However, it’s easy to swap camera modes from the Camera Control button or the Camera app once it’s open.
Lens – Flashlight is potentially one of its most useful settings if you regularly use the flashlight feature in the dark. Before iOS 18, the flashlight was a mandatory lock screen button, but that’s no longer the case. You can set other functions on the lock screen now.
Voice Memos – Setting the Action Button to Voice Memo starts a recording when the button is pressed the first time and stops with a second press. In iOS 18, you can get voice memo transcriptions, which adds a lot more functionality. If you want to record lectures, interviews or meetings regularly, it will make it easier for you.
Music recognition – This essentially enables Shazam to tell you what music is playing around you. If you don’t use Shazam all the time, it’s probably best to enable it from the Control Center.
Translation – When you press the Action Button with the Translate set, it will automatically listen to what is being said and then provide a translation. You’ll need to select your languages in the Translate app, but after that, it doesn’t open a full app. It is a quick access interface where you can get a translation and even speak the translation out loud. There are some language restrictions, but if you’re traveling to a country where one of the available languages is spoken, you can take advantage of the option.
Magnifying Glass – The magnifying glass opens the Camera app and lets you set a zoom level so you can magnify small text. You can change the brightness and contrast for better viewing and turn on the flash if it’s dark. If you have vision problems and problems with text that is too small, Magnifier can be useful, and you’ll probably need it quite often.
Accessibility – You can set the Action Button to any accessibility feature. There’s a long list of options, but some of the most useful to use with quick access toggles include Zoom, VoiceOver, Voice Control, Apple Watch Mirroring, Background Sounds, Chat Amplification, Live Speech, and Guided Access.
No action – If you do not wish to use the Action Button, setting it to No Action means that it will do nothing when pressed.
Shortcuts
You can set any shortcut to activate with the Action Button using the Shortcuts setting. You can create a shortcut that displays many different apps and functions.
The “Super Action Button” shortcut, for example, opens a menu where you can choose from options such as taking a screenshot, turning on the flashlight, creating a reminder, launching a voice memo, opening Apple Maps, creating a Calendar event, scanning a document, and more .
Third-party apps that have Shortcuts created by developers will also appear in the Shortcuts section of the Action Button, so if you want to use it to open a book in Audible or create a task in Things, you’ll set that up with the Shortcuts app. Here are some first- and third-party app shortcuts that might be useful:
ChatGPT – Ask ChatGPT a question you type or start a voice chat.
Αudible – Read a book or set a sleep timer.
Clock – Set a timer.
Files – Document scanning.
Google – Start a Google search or a voice search.
Music – Play music from your Apple Music library or a radio station.
Phone – Call someone or make a FaceTime call.
Podcasts – Play a podcast.
Things – Add a liability.
Fantastical – Create an event.
Remote Control – Turn on Remote Control for Apple TV.
Open App – Set the Action Button to open any app you have installed.
Along with these simple app options you already have available, you can download any shortcut from the Shortcut Gallery or from the web and add it to the Action Button.
Controls
With iOS 18, Apple opened Control Center to third-party app developers and also added more first-party Control Center options. Some of these new Control Center features can be configured in the Action Button and you’ll find them in the Controls section when deciding on a feature for your Action Button.
There are some Control Center controls that are not available. There is no option to enable Low Power Mode with a Control Center option for the Action Button. You can set the Action Button to enable low power mode, but you have to do it with Shortcuts.
You can also do things like turn off cellular connectivity, but not Wi-Fi, even though both are Control Center toggles.
The distinction between shortcuts and controls is quite confusing. Some of the available Control Center toggles:
Activate Dark Mode
Open the Timer interface
Scan a code
Open an app like Instagram or Halide on the camera
Switch to flight mode
Turn off mobile data
Open the Home app
Start a quick note
There are also third-party controls, and many of them mirror what you can do with their Shortcuts. However, some apps may have Control Center controls rather than Shortcuts, or there may be differences between what’s available. Shortcuts generally have more options available.
Lock screen controls
You can set different Control Center controls on the lock screen now, as the Camera and Lens options can be overridden.
Source: techblog.gr
