Blog

Code snippets found in the fourth developer beta of iOS 17 suggest the existence of a new ‘Action Button’ and how it could be used with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, which are expected to be released in September of this year.

As spotted by MacRumors, Apple has released the fourth developer beta of iOS 17 to developers, and it may have confirmed a new hardware feature coming with the iPhone 15 Pro models in a few months.

It was previously predicted that the iPhone 15 Pro models would have solid-state volume buttons alongside the purported Action Button to replace the traditional mute switch—that has been on iPhones since the original iPhone in 2007. However, analysts such as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo have since predicted that solid-state buttons will be delayed until the iPhone 16 series. Nevertheless, the revamped mute switch/Action Button—could still be included with the iPhone 15 Pro models.

The fourth developer beta code suggests that the Action Button may support nine different options that users can personalize and assign to different actions. These include: Accessibility, Shortcuts, Silent Mode, Camera, Flashlight, Focus, Magnifier, Translate, and Voice Memos.

Earlier reports have alleged that the Action Button could enable users to perform various functions and open settings without unlocking their devices. It could also allow users to mute calls, take screenshots, and launch Siri. This would mark a shift from the current mute button, which can only be used to silence incoming calls and notifications.

The iPhone 15 series is expected to be released in September—but recent reports have indicated that Apple may begin selling the phones in October due to a shortage of displays.