iOS 18 Adds Control Center Options to Action Button on iPhone 15 Pro

[MacRumors]

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models have an Action button in place of the Ring/Silent switch on older iPhones, and iOS 18 makes it even more useful.

Screenshot Credit: Aaron Perris​

iOS 18 allows the Action button to be assigned to one of the dozens of controls available in the new Control Center gallery, allowing the Action button to invoke Dark Mode, Airplane Mode, Personal Hotspot, and more. Options like Low Power Mode and Orientation Lock do not appear to be available as of iOS 18 beta 1, but the Shortcut action already allows the Action button to be assigned to those options if desired.

These new options are in addition to the actions that were already available for the Action button on iOS 17, including Ring/Silent, Do Not Disturb, Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Magnifier, Translate, Shortcut, and Accessibility. Some of the new Control Center options were already possible with the Shortcut or Accessibility options.

It has been rumored that the Action button will be expanded to all four iPhone 16 models later this year, so these new controls will come to even more devices.

iOS 18 is currently in beta and should be released in September.

Article Link: iOS 18 Adds Control Center Options to Action Button on iPhone 15 Pro

 

[kalafalas]

ORIENTATION LOCK YYYYAAAAAASSSS

dang I might have to ruin my life and install the beta on my main

edit: seems the writer was wrong :/ oh well. I use shortcuts right now, but I was hoping for something a bit more native with synced haptics and stuff

 

[MayaUser]

This is beautiful

 

[kirky29]

This is pretty cool, I now wish you could change the volume up and down buttons to whatever, I'd be happy to control my volume manually from control centre and have, say, my volume up button as orientation lock, and volume down as quick access to the home app. Or something like that!

 

[Tofupunch]

Nice to hear they're expanding what the Action button can do. I have it set to Halide when I want to take a more "serious" photo as I prefer their UI over the stock camera app. But the more options, the better.

 

[mrat93]

Wow, now we have two methods of invoking CC which are out-of-reach for easy, one-handed use!

 

[mrat93]

This is pretty cool, I now wish you could change the volume up and down buttons to whatever, I'd be happy to control my volume manually from control centre and have, say, my volume up button as orientation lock, and volume down as quick access to the home app. Or something like that!

Anytime there’s an article about the Action Button, I’m reminded of the Jailbreak app Activator from over 10 years ago. You could assign literally over 100 actions systemwide similarly. It is so sad that Apple is restricting this to one action for one button.

 

[supremedesigner]

Can anyone please confirm if the Dark Mode option is included in the Accessibility Shortcut? The current iOS 17 doesn't do that but it would be nice to know if it is in iOS 18. Thanks!

 

[AppleInLVX]

I feel like between adding things to control center, colorizing app icons, and making the Action button more robust, I'll finally be able to reach minimal iPhone using only native functionality, and that will be lovely.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

ORIENTATION LOCK YYYYAAAAAASSSS

dang I might have to ruin my life and install the beta on my main

I wrote the MacRumors story, and unfortunately I made an error. I thought the Action button could be assigned to ANY control in the Control Center gallery, but it turns out that options like Orientation Lock and Low Power Mode are not available, at least as of iOS 18 beta 1.

Truly sorry to get your hopes up! I messed up that one.

EDIT: But as the comment below me pointed out, you can already map the Action button to Orientation Lock via Shortcuts on iOS 17, so the end result is still completely possible.

 

[mansplains]

ORIENTATION LOCK YYYYAAAAAASSSS

dang I might have to ruin my life and install the beta on my main

The orientation lock doesn’t appear to be an option. You can already use a shortcut for this on iOS 17, however.

 

[bradman83]

Nice to hear they're expanding what the Action button can do. I have it set to Halide when I want to take a more "serious" photo as I prefer their UI over the stock camera app. But the more options, the better.

In theory Halide could now develop a control center widget that you can use to replace the button for the stock camera app with on the lock screen (unless of course you prefer access to both).

 

[d-klumpp]

Why not trigger apps and specific functions within an app? I find the action I most often need to do quickly is a Shazam "listen."

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

ORIENTATION LOCK YYYYAAAAAASSSS

dang I might have to ruin my life and install the beta on my main

I have done. It’s extremely sturdy.

15PM
99% working

 

[FishyFish]

But no way to use the button to actually just bring up Control Center which would be the most useful shortcut of all.

 

[kirky29]

Anytime there’s an article about the Action Button, I’m reminded of the Jailbreak app Activator from over 10 years ago. You could assign literally over 100 actions systemwide similarly. It is so sad that Apple is restricting this to one action for one button.

I remember using that app very, very well! I miss the days of Jailbreaking!

 

[DonkeyWonkey]

In iOS18 can you set the action button to open control centre itself?

 

[kc9hzn]

Anytime there’s an article about the Action Button, I’m reminded of the Jailbreak app Activator from over 10 years ago. You could assign literally over 100 actions systemwide similarly. It is so sad that Apple is restricting this to one action for one button.

I use it to launch Launch Center Pro, which has a bunch of Shortcuts saved to it. I’m not using it as often as I had been (because I no longer need to use my shortcut for finding the fastest train to work, my new work location doesn’t require me to guess like the old one did), but it still gives me lots of options for launching multiple Shortcuts from the Action button.

 

[smogriver]

I submitted this as a request when iPhone 15 Pro came out. It's the only feature that will make me give up my 13 mini. That and the ability to place app icons. I'm glad they're winning me back over.

 

[tgwaste]

This is awesome but I dont think I would ever use it for anything but silent mode.
I do wish there were multiple uses though (double-click for something, etc). iOS81 maybe.

 

[tgwaste]

I submitted this as a request when iPhone 15 Pro came out. It's the only feature that will make me give up my 13 mini. That and the ability to place app icons. I'm glad they're winning me back over.

I so regret not trying the mini.

 

[midkay]

ORIENTATION LOCK YYYYAAAAAASSSS

dang I might have to ruin my life and install the beta on my main

You've been waiting for this? I think you could do this since last September, using Shortcuts.

 

[Reeneman]

Probably I will use this button for the first time with ios18.
Haven’t touched it a single time since day 1 with the 15 Pro.

 

[smogriver]

But no way to use the button to actually just bring up Control Center which would be the most useful shortcut of all.

Oh no. I misread and thought this was an option. What a silly miss.

 

[macduke]

Something broke with the toggle shortcut that I have my action button set to, so it hasn't worked in months.

Shows just how useful it is, lol.