Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models feature an Action button to which you can assign a custom function. Officially, the Action button only supports one function, but there is a way to switch between two actions using a special Shortcut. Keep reading to learn how it's done.


On ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 16‌ devices, the iOS Settings app includes an Action button menu that includes several programmable functions that you can assign to the Action button, which is located above the volume buttons in place of the traditional Silent/Ring switch.

This menu lets you choose one option for the Action button, like opening the Camera app or turning on Silent mode, but there is a way to assign two functions to the Action button via the Shortcut option.

Thanks to a freely available third-party shortcut called MultiButton made by MacStories' Federico Viticci, it's possible to automatically cycle between two shortcuts by pressing the Action button multiple times in rapid succession. In a nutshell, if you press the Action button once it runs a primary shortcut, and if you press it again within a few seconds, it runs a secondary shortcut.

What the primary and secondary shortcuts are is entirely up to you, so have a look at what's available in the Shortcuts app before your proceed. Once you've decided on them, make a note of their names, then follow the steps below.

  1. Download and install the free MultiButton shortcut.
  2. During setup, you'll be asked to enter the names of the two shortcuts you want to run with MultiButton. Be sure to enter their exact names. (Alternatively, tap Skip Setup and choose these shortcuts later in the MultiButton editor.)
  3. Tap Add Shortcut.
    shortcuts

  4. Now, open the Settings app and tap Action Button.
  5. Swipe to the Shortcut option.
  6. Tap the selection button below "Shortcut" and select MultiButton.
    settings

  7. Now, long press the Action button.
  8. If you're prompted to, give MultiButton permission to access your iCloud Drive (don't worry, MultiButton doesn't read any other files or contact any third-party servers, and you won't be prompted again).

After following these steps, you should see your primary shortcut run on the first Action button press. If you press the Action button again within 7 seconds of the first press, your secondary shortcut will run. If you wait longer than 7 seconds, MultiButton will run the default, primary shortcut instead.

Note that you can't press the Action button a second time while the first shortcut is still running. You'll have to wait for the primary shortcut to finish running. Unfortunately, the Shortcuts app doesn't support running two shortcuts from the Action button at the same time.

Changing the 7-Second Threshold

Developer Federico Viticci chose the default 7 seconds as the threshold for pressing the Action button twice based on his own real-life usage, but you can modify the limit.

shortcuts
Open the Shortcuts app, tap the round ellipsis (three dots) button on the MultiButton shortcut card, then scroll down to the hash symbol and change the number "7" to your preferred threshold duration in seconds. Tap Done to save your changes.

Assign Primary/Secondary Shortcuts

Open the Shortcuts app, tap the round ellipsis (three dots) button on the MultiButton shortcut card, then replace the Shortcut 1 and Shortcut 2 lines with the exact names of the shortcuts you want to assign to one and two Action button presses. Lastly, tap Done to save your shortcut changes.

shortcuts
What do you think of Viticci's MultiButton shortcut for the Action button on ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 16‌ models? Got a useful shortcuts setup you'd like to share? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundups: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...