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An Action Button Could Be Coming to the iPhone 15

Fans of the Apple Watch Ultra will recognize the Action button.

Zachary McAuliffe Staff writer
Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him reading and drinking coffee or watching a TV series with his wife and their dog.
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Zachary McAuliffe
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iOS 17 logo with pink background
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Apple could be putting an Action button on your next iPhone. According to a July report from MacRumors, code in the fourth iOS 17 developer beta hints at functionality for an Action button on the next-gen iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.

Apple Watch Ultra with a green band

See that orange button on the side of this Apple Watch Ultra? That's the Action button.

Nic Coury/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Apple introduced the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra. It's a physical button on the side of the Apple Watch Ultra that allows you to run a preselected function or program when you press it without unlocking your device or navigating to an app. Some of the preselected functions include starting a stopwatch, beginning a workout and turning on your flashlight.

The report said the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max could replace the Ring/Silent switch on the side of the iPhone. The iPhone 15 Action button could have nine different functions. What each function would do is unclear, but the names of some of the functions, such as Camera and Flashlight, indicate the Action button would likely be able to turn these features on and off.

Read more: iPhone 15 Pro Could See Longer Battery Life From New Chip Line

Apple hasn't announced any information about the next iPhone, but the company will likely unveil details of its next smartphone at the next iPhone event -- probably in September.

Apple didn't respond to CNET's request for comment.

For more, check out why the iPhone 15 might need a different charger, the 15 features we really want to see on the iPhone 15 and hidden features in iOS 17 you should know about.

Watch this: We Tried iOS 17 for Ourselves and We're Impressed So Far