iPhone 16’s new Action Button can start your car and order food in just a few taps with this clever customization setting
What the Action Button actually does is completely up to the user
With the ever-growing amount of smartphone features available to us, it's crazy to think there was once a time when all you could do on your phone was text, make calls and play a round or two of Snake.
The latest updates from Apple might just be the most impressive yet.
At its 'Glowtime' event on Monday (September 9), the tech giant unveiled its latest lineup of gadgets, including the long-awaited iPhone 16 range.
The new models, which shoppers can pre-order from today (September 13) and are due to hit stores on September 20, will be available in a range of colours and come with a whole host of new features.
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One feature is the Active Button which replaces the mute switch on older devices.
What the button actually does is completely up to the user.
Keen photographers may choose to programme it to open the camera. Or you could use it to launch your most frequently used apps.
Although, it could be argued that nobody needs a shortcut to yet another doomscroll on TikTok.
But the possibles don't end there. It can even be custom-linked to your car app and unlock or restart your vehicle without the need to carry a key.
Now, the Active Button isn't entirely new, already existing on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max.
Users took to Reddit to share their favourite ways to use it.
One person wrote: "I use it for flashlight, it’s quite useful and shockingly comes in handy almost daily."
And another said: "I have it set to start my car so it's warm when I leave."
The handy feature also lends itself well to looking after your health, with further users sharing that they have it linked to a glucose-monitoring app to manage their diabetes.
"Saves me a lot of time for quickly checking levels," one person shared.
And when one user jokingly suggested setting the button up to order takeout, others devised a way to make it work.
"This kind of thing probably already exists in App Intents," one responded.
"So probably pretty easy to map the action button to a menu of your five favorite meals."
The Action Button wasn't the only iPhone 16 feature spotlighted at Monday's event. A second, entirely new, button, called Camera Control, will help users take photos and videos.
Clicking on the button, which is located on the other side of the phone, once takes a picture while clicking it twice starts recording a video.
And, pressing it lightly will allow you to frame your shot, with the button being so sensitive it can tell the difference between a gentle press and a full click.
The full range is available to pre-order now, with prices starting at $799 for an iPhone 16 and rising to up to $1,599 for a 16 Pro Plus with a terabyte of storage.