One of the newest iPhone features, the customizable Action button, could eventually be added to other Apple products, including the iPad and Mac. In addition, future iPhones could have multiple Action buttons. The U.S. Patent Office recently published a patent application (via Patently Apple) that explores these possibilities.
The iPhone Action button was first introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and later became available on all iPhone 16 models. This versatile button offers a new level of personalization and efficiency, giving you quick access to your most-used features with a simple click.
Positioned on the phone’s left side, this button lets you quickly access various functions with a simple press or a press-and-hold. You can customize it to perform actions such as toggling silent mode, activating the flashlight, opening the camera, triggering shortcuts, starting voice memos, and much more. Additionally, Apple has enabled support for third-party apps, further expanding its capabilities.
According to the new patent, Apple is testing the possibility of adding three left-side Action buttons to future iPhones. You would still have the same number of buttons as you do on an iPhone today, but the volume buttons we have now could become fully customizable. Similar buttons could also appear on next-generation iPads, Apple Watches, Macs, and other devices.
Apple’s patent application explains the need for electronic devices that offer faster and more efficient methods and interfaces for providing and updating status information. These new methods and interfaces can complement or replace traditional delivering and refreshing status information approaches.
Even the likely approval of the patent application does not guarantee that Apple will implement Action buttons on multiple devices in the future. Nonetheless, the company is considering this option.
Is this a good idea? It could be! Adding more functionality to buttons is always a good thing, even if it may come with a bit of a learning curve. Adding an Action button to a future iPad seems more logical, as it would also make sense for a Mac with more space for such features.