iPhone 15 Pro Action Button is a Horrible Idea

[sherwinzadeh]

The more I think about it, the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro is going to make my life much harder -- specifically because it replaces the mute switch which is super important. By being a physical switch, you can just feel if you're on mute without taking your phone out of your pocket. This is something I do daily when in meetings and other scenarios where I don't want my phone to ring. With the Action Button, you have to press and hold but you don't know before if it's already on mute or not. Maybe you can feel with haptics -- don't know. But still you're going to have to press and hold just to find out and undo it if it was already mute.

They should have added the Action Button in addition to the mute switch. There's plenty of room.

(Also never liked the power button moving to the right side. I hit that way too often accidentally. Should be on the top like iPhone 1-5. Then you can stand it on it's side too).

 

[NotApplicable]

By being a physical switch, you can just feel if you're on mute without taking your phone out of your pocket

During the keynote they said that the haptic pattern of mute is different than that of unmute

Overblown concern imo

They were never going to keep a switch. Next year these won’t even really be buttons — they’ll be solid state.

 

[Asiatic Black Hebrew]

The company has an extensive history of removing things on their phones for no real reason & this is just the latest example. We all said the same thing when they removed the headset jack, touch ID, & sim tray from their devices. It may be an annoyance right now, but my guess is you'll quickly adjust.

If it's something you don't think you can live with, then there's also the option of just not getting the 15 at all. Not sure what phone you're coming from but the 14s will still be available.

 

[fwmireault]

I think the button allows much more flexibility, and many people are never touching the mute switch anyway. Of course, some are, but Apple can’t please everyone

 

[sherwinzadeh]

During the keynote they said that the haptic pattern of mute is different than that of unmute

OK so you have to press and hold it just to find and then undo it if it was already in the state you wanted it in.

 

[sherwinzadeh]

I think the button allows much more flexibility, and many people are never touching the mute switch anyway. Of course, some are, but Apple can’t please everyone

Sure they can. Add it as a separate button. Is a switch too expensive to keep around? Phones are big enough....

 

[rKunda]

I think it’s a great idea

 

[thecautioners]

I love the idea, I’ll be using it for the camera. My phone is on mute 100% of the time because calls vibrate on my AW. I’ve had the 14PM since launch and it has never rang.

 

[sherwinzadeh]

I’ll be using it for the camera.

There's already a camera quick action button on the lock screen... and you can press the volume down button to control the shutter.... so not really that huge of a deal for me.

 

[eyoungren]

We also need to rip out Fly-by-Wire on all aircraft and reinstall cables so pilots have an accurate read of the situation just by touch. We may be able to save weight by ripping out FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) on all engines and reinstalling cable throttling systems. While we're at it we can get rid of HUD and glass cockpits and go back to analogue gauges and instruments.

We might also want to re-employ Flight Engineers. The pilot and first officer will all be busy 'feeling' the controls - they need someone to watch the engines and fuel gage! The manufacturers and airlines can cash in by promoting 'real' pilots who get you there by 'dead reckoning!'

By all means, lets keep the silent switch exactly the way it was - it's not hurting anything (advancement of technology)! Might want to ask Apple nicely to bring the headphone jack back too. There's plenty of space!

 

[naturalguy]

I’ve never used the mute switch, I am always on vibrate

 

[onenorth]

FWIW the Do Not Disturb focus is more flexible than the mute switch, and Apple wants us to use the focus feature instead. I guess Apple could have eliminated the mute switch entirely but instead kept it and overloaded it with functions. So maybe we should be grateful it's still there?

 

[sherwinzadeh]

FWIW the Do Not Disturb focus is more flexible than the mute switch, and Apple wants us to use the focus feature instead. I guess Apple could have eliminated the mute switch entirely but instead kept it and overloaded it with functions. So maybe we should be grateful it's still there?

Mute is not DND. It toggles vibration instead of the ringer so you can know if someone is calling your without interrupting everyone else.

I guess y'all work at home and never go out to public?

 

[tweaknmod]

During the keynote they said that the haptic pattern of mute is different than that of unmute

Overblown concern imo

They were never going to keep a switch. Next year these won’t even really be buttons — they’ll be solid state.

Hell, it won’t be long until they won’t even have physical form!

iPhone 42 - The answer to life, the universe, and everything.

…from $7m/mth

 

[eyoungren]

Mute is not DND. It toggles vibration instead of the ringer so you can know if someone is calling your without interrupting everyone else.

I guess y'all work at home and never go out to public?

And the ringer switch has never been a fully compliant mute switch. Turn it off, leave an alarm on and watch what happens when your alarm goes off when the phone is 'silent'.

I've always hated that and I've been involved in plenty of discussions over it here on MR over the years. Some people might say 'Oh, well we don't want our alarms silenced because we still have to get up in the morning!'

Great, what about people who work odd hours and go out to a movie or to the doctors and forget to turn their alarm off?

Yeah, good riddance to the switch.

 

[waquzy]

It’s a gimmick like the Touch Bar and Dynamic Island and I have both at the moment(iPhone 14 Pro and MBP 16” 2019). Both are as useless as each other, I can see the action button being the same.

 

[sherwinzadeh]

It’s a gimmick like the Touch Bar and Dynamic Island and I have both at the moment(iPhone 14 Pro and MBP 16” 2019). Both are as useless as each other, I can see the action button being the same.

I'm not an Apple Watch Ultra user... but I've read a lot of reviews saying that the Action Button is not that useful there either (and has a lot of false presses)

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

Change is scary. Hang in there buddy. You’ll be alright.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

I'm not an Apple Watch Ultra user... but I've read a lot of reviews saying that the Action Button is not that useful there either (and has a lot of false presses)

I find the action button on the AW Ultra to be incredibly useful. I use it every single day, throughout my day. I never accidentally pushed it. There are a lot of clumsy people on this planet, I’m sure they’ll complain a lot. It’s a great feature for many people.

 

[onenorth]

Mute is not DND. It toggles vibration instead of the ringer so you can know if someone is calling your without interrupting everyone else.

I guess y'all work at home and never go out to public?

Set the ring volume to zero with the volume buttons. I find that easier to do without looking at the phone than flipping that tiny switch.

It's a done deal. Apple will not be going back.

 

[seek3r]

It’s a gimmick like the Touch Bar and Dynamic Island and I have both at the moment(iPhone 14 Pro and MBP 16” 2019). Both are as useless as each other, I can see the action button being the same.

Tbh I’m kinda looking forward to it. I dont really take my phone off silent anymore, and I do use the flashlight a lot, which is awkward sometimes to turn on. Using the button to toggle the flashlight would be incredibly useful

 

[NT1440]

The company has an extensive history of removing things on their phones for no real reason & this is just the latest example. We all said the same thing when they removed the headset jack, touch ID, & sim tray from their devices. It may be an annoyance right now, but my guess is you'll quickly adjust.

If it's something you don't think you can live with, then there's also the option of just not getting the 15 at all. Not sure what phone you're coming from but the 14s will still be available.

Wait, the ability to launch *literally anything you want* via app (or more importantly Shortcuts which really makes the button completely customizable) is “no real reason”?

If you want a simple mute, it’s the default and provides feedback on silent or not right in your pocket. No loss in functionality right there as the default. AND YOU CAN CHOOSE TO MAKE IT LITERALLY DO ANYTHING ELSE IF YOU WANT TO.

I really don’t understand viewing the action button as anything but more freedom of choice 🤷‍♂️

 

[sherwinzadeh]

Set the ring volume to zero with the volume buttons. I find that easier to do without looking at the phone than flipping that tiny switch.

You won't get vibration.

It's a done deal. Apple will not be going back.

Tell that to the Touch Bar.

 

[mintakax]

I agree with OP. A physical switch for muting will be much more convenient. Sure, owners will get used to it, but I think there will be some (many?) occurrences of mistaking the muted/unmuted state.

 

[NT1440]

I agree with OP. A physical switch for muting will be much more convenient. Sure, owners will get used to it, but I think there will be some (many?) occurrences of mistaking the muted/unmuted state.

That’s exactly what the button is, out of the box.