iPhone 16 Capture Button Will Respond to Touch and Pressure for Zooming and Focusing

Apple is planning to add a new "Capture Button" to the iPhone 16 models, as we first reported back in September. When the news broke about the extra button, we didn't initially know what it was for, but the name gave us some hints and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman confirmed in December that it would be used for taking video.

iPhone 16 Pro Mock Header Updated
The Information has now shared a few new details on the function of the Capture Button, including some of the gestures that it will support. The site says that the button is mechanical rather than capacitive, but it will respond to pressure and touch.

iPhone users will be able to zoom in and out by swiping left and right on the button, focus with a light press, and activate a recording with a more forceful press.

Apple plans to put the Capture Button on the right side of the ‌iPhone‌, located below the Power button and in an ideal spot for finger access when the ‌iPhone‌ is held in a horizontal orientation. At the current time, this is the location of the mmWave antenna in the United States, but the antenna will move to the left side of the device with the addition of the extra button.

According to The Information, Apple believes the new button will be a major selling point for the ‌iPhone 16‌ lineup, and it is being introduced to further push the ‌iPhone‌ as a camera alternative for shooting horizontal video.

Apple has not yet finalized the design of the ‌iPhone 16‌, so the function and design of the button could change in the future.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro

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Top Rated Comments

klasma Avatar
16 months ago

Really??
Steve Jobs is rolling over in his grave as we speak. Smh we need a redesign iPhone or somthing better. Your excited over a button?? lol I’m still going to get it but me & you are excited over a button & larger screen lol
No, I was making a pun. I’ll be keeping my iPhone 13 mini as long as possible. And I dislike capacitive buttons.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McWetty Avatar
16 months ago
As a photographer… this seems maybe kinda sorta useful.

As an iPhone user… it’s just one more button for me to accidentally hit when i mean to take a screenshot or change the volume. I really don’t think we need more buttons.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
16 months ago
It’ll be the most captivating button ever!


the button is mechanical rather than capacitive
Well that’s one good news at least.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
subjonas Avatar
16 months ago
I like pressure sensitivity. Bring back 3D Touch!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Surf Monkey Avatar
16 months ago
This actually seems like a good idea now that we have a better idea of what it’s for. I see people struggle with the software controls for Photos all the time and the volume button as the capture button just leads to lots of unintended shots.

With a button that handles zoom Apple can keep people in the native focal lengths of the lenses and a manual focus button would eliminate a lot of screen poking when shooting as well.

So while I was skeptical at first now I’m curious. There’s a problem to solve here (clumsy interface that leads to bad shots) and it appears Apple is trying to solve it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
16 months ago

As an iPhone user… it’s just one more button for me to accidentally hit when i mean to take a screenshot or change the volume. I really don’t think we need more buttons.
Yeah, and it’ll be confusing to not use the Capture button for taking a screen capture. ;)

Not sure why they don’t call it the Camera button, that would be more readily understandable.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)