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adrianlondon

macrumors 603
Nov 28, 2013
5,548
8,371
Switzerland
I don't know about the newer phones, but my 11 starts Siri if I long-press the power button. As far as I'm aware, that's never happened by putting the phone in my pocket.
 

DMG35

Contributor
May 27, 2021
2,528
8,174
Question,

How do you get the phone in and out of mute quickly if you assign the action button to something else?
 
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Nozuka

macrumors 68040
Jul 3, 2012
3,606
6,120
According to the MKBHD podcast, if you just shortly press the button, you get different haptics for when mute is enabled or not.
That way you can still feel if it is on or off, without turning it on/off.

If true, problem solved.
 
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bigjnyc

macrumors G3
Apr 10, 2008
8,324
7,692
I just created this account to support your opinion. I am an engineer and meetings are part of my job. Even sudden meetings standing one. The whole idea was to mute the phone without looking for the phone or checking the screen. This kind of little thing made me feel iPhone was the one for me. Unfortunately, it would be a perfect phone without that button. But I guess we will get used to it anyway. If you ask me Tim Cook is a good seller not a smart man like Steve Jobs.

Push the button, are you sure it is silent, check the screen, and after a couple of minutes check the screen again. You are in the meeting. Not good.

Yes as an engineer also my job and I am a part of innovation and improvement. I know it is not the end of the world but let's not fool ourselves there are many ways to provide that action button kind of thing for the user. And it shouldn't be by getting rid of the one only unique(!) thing about the iPhone.

Bring it back Apple.
I think you guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill here… this is such a non-issue and you people are making it seem like it’s the end of the world and makes the phone unusable. First of all there will be a specific haptic feedback for silencing the phone, just practice getting used to the haptic feedback in your pocket for 5 minutes and I’m sure you’ll be good to go for your meetings….. secondly taking 1 second to look at your phone and make sure you’re putting it on silent is not a huge deal. you are not in a meeting with the US president deciding the fate of the world FFS…. people whip out their phones to look at silly memes and to get notifications hundreds of times a day, but all of a sudden they can't pull it out to see if they put it on silent, come on!……. people just need to find at least one thing to be disgruntled and complain about jeez.
 

kappisto

macrumors newbie
Dec 6, 2009
27
54
Ironically, half the people who claim the need to check if their phone is muted by feel alone only need to do so because a physical mute switch can be accidentally flipped (e.g. putting on a case), a problem that immediately disappears when you stop using it as a mute switch and move it to control center. Most people I know keep their phone permanently on silent, and some of them still think this is an issue because they need to be able to confirm it's on silent.

I'll be setting my phone to silent in Control Center and then removing that control, never to be seen again
 
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Bananasaurus

Suspended
Aug 16, 2023
753
2,632
Gosh. I sure do hate things that other people enjoy. They shouldn't be allowed to like them.

I for one love that a tiny little annoying toggle switch is being replaced by a simple button.
 
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Greenmeenie

macrumors 68020
Jan 14, 2013
2,124
3,307
Misguided fear. The action button not only will allow you to put on mute from your pocket just by feel of the haptic feedback… but can also serve multiple functions. Like the dynamic island turned an ugly pill into a functional feature so to will the action button transform the old mute button into a much more useful feature.
 

redheeler

macrumors G3
Oct 17, 2014
8,659
9,329
Colorado, USA
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!
Meanwhile in another thread:
I guess I'm old-fashioned. I prefer analog switches.
 

redheeler

macrumors G3
Oct 17, 2014
8,659
9,329
Colorado, USA
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).
It reminds me of the Touch Bar. Many of us with Touch Bar Macs have used the Touch Bar mostly for exactly the same functionality as the analog function keys it replaced, something which Apple realized and decided that including the Touch Bar was no longer necessary.

Way too early to tell if the Action Button will have the same fate as the Touch Bar. I don’t think it’s as different from an analog mute switch as the Touch Bar was from analog function keys, but it’s a familiar sounding story of a new feature that’s supposed to be better but will mostly be used the same as the feature it replaces.
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,663
28,438
Meanwhile in another thread:
Context is everything. In the other thread you mention the topic is voice control, specifically using Siri or Alexa to control lights. I'm not a fan of using voice control because it feels strange to me. And part of that is privacy in recording peoples voices - even when voice control is not being used.

Which is why I said I prefer analog switches. Ie., the light switch on the wall.
 

redheeler

macrumors G3
Oct 17, 2014
8,659
9,329
Colorado, USA
Context is everything. In the other thread you mention the topic is voice control, specifically using Siri or Alexa to control lights. I'm not a fan of using voice control because it feels strange to me. And part of that is privacy in recording peoples voices - even when voice control is not being used.

Which is why I said I prefer analog switches. Ie., the light switch on the wall.
Not being able to feel an analog mute switch might feel strange to some people as well. And that’s okay.

(I’m not one of them since my phone case makes it hard to feel the switch’s position anyway)
 
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Crosshatch

macrumors newbie
Mar 26, 2021
22
23
FfA59waacAAS26n.jpg

*People who always keep their phone on silent
 
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eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,663
28,438
Not being able to feel an analog mute switch might feel strange to some people as well. And that’s okay.

(I’m not one of them since my phone case makes it hard to feel the switch’s position anyway)
Well…in the other thread from which you quoted me it concerned home automation devices, not the iPhone. Two different things, two different contexts. But okay.
 

redheeler

macrumors G3
Oct 17, 2014
8,659
9,329
Colorado, USA
Well…in the other thread from which you quoted me it concerned home automation devices, not the iPhone. Two different things, two different contexts. But okay.
Yeah but in both contexts a valid case can be made for simpler = better and preferring the former. I tend to agree with simpler = better and doing one thing really well (like turning on a light or muting the phone) over a bunch of things but not as well for any individual thing. Same goes for the analog function keys vs. Touch Bar discussion…IMO the function keys are more convenient than the Touch Bar at doing the single thing the key is meant to do and I understand and agree with its omission on newer MacBooks.

Three different contexts but the same principle guides my opinion for all three. It seemed like you were saying simpler = better in the other thread and not here which to me was an inconsistent application of that principle, while also comparing muting a phone to sophisticated high-level functionality like controlling an airplane's engines to specific safety and regulatory standards as if those exist in the same context. At least try and be consistent on something!!!
 
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MLVC

macrumors 68000
Apr 30, 2015
1,648
3,816
Maastricht, The Netherlands
Love the idea, already created a Choose From Menu shortcut that will give me all sorts of options when pressing the Action Button (like Open Halide, Create Note, Add Reminder etc). Much more functional than just a mute switch.
 

Nozuka

macrumors 68040
Jul 3, 2012
3,606
6,120
Love the idea, already created a Choose From Menu shortcut that will give me all sorts of options when pressing the Action Button (like Open Halide, Create Note, Add Reminder etc). Much more functional than just a mute switch.

Interesting. Didn't know this was a thing. Will definitely look into it
 

RPhoto

macrumors 65816
Jul 18, 2010
1,130
2,294
Surrey, UK
It remains to be seen how well the button works in real world usage but it’s position makes some sense.

Put it near the power button and people would end up turning the screen off my mistake.

Make it the same size as the volume buttons and you’d end up turning volume up or down by mistake.

I tend to keep my phone silenced all the time anyway but in my mind, for now, I’ll miss the switch. But we’ll see once the phone arrives.

100% agree about what someone said about the Dynamic Island though, coming from a 12 Pro the island looks more intrusive because it sits lower down the screen. So that’s going to be a potential bugbear initially too.
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,663
28,438
Yeah but in both contexts a valid case can be made for simpler = better and preferring the former. I tend to agree with simpler = better and doing one thing really well (like turning on a light or muting the phone) over a bunch of things but not as well for any individual thing. Same goes for the analog function keys vs. Touch Bar discussion…IMO the function keys are more convenient than the Touch Bar at doing the single thing the key is meant to do and I understand and agree with its omission on newer MacBooks.

Three different contexts but the same principle guides my opinion for all three. It seemed like you were saying simpler = better in the other thread and not here which to me was an inconsistent application of that principle, while also comparing muting a phone to sophisticated high-level functionality like controlling an airplane's engines to specific safety and regulatory standards as if those exist in the same context. At least try and be consistent on something!!!
In regards to the airplane engines, etc, as I said twice later on in this thread, I was being over hyperbolic to try and make a point.

If there is some other option regarding voice home automation devices that does not require voice or analog switches I'm all for it. I suggested one in that thread, an app. I'd been using an app for home automation for five years. But OP in that thread preferred voice, so if an app was ruled out and there is no other tech - I prefer the analog. The latter poster who suggested The Clapper, I took as a joke.
 

DMG35

Contributor
May 27, 2021
2,528
8,174
Will likely be in the control center.

It's not though. I'm running the released candidate and there is no option to change the sound profile for the phone anywhere in control center and it's not something you can add.
 

dsteve

macrumors regular
Aug 12, 2011
113
117
Love the idea, already created a Choose From Menu shortcut that will give me all sorts of options when pressing the Action Button (like Open Halide, Create Note, Add Reminder etc). Much more functional than just a mute switch.
Same, but I took it a half step further and added some immediate actions and context-based menus, like:
  • if I‘m at home and around 7:45am on a weekday, start navigation to drop kids off at school.
  • if around pickup time and near kids school on a weekday, start navigate home.
  • if focus mode is driving, menu is a list of common destinations
  • if focus mode is personal and I’m at home, show specific menu items.
  • if focus mode is work, again a different list
  • else default list of options TBD
 

dsteve

macrumors regular
Aug 12, 2011
113
117
It's not though. I'm running the released candidate and there is no option to change the sound profile for the phone anywhere in control center and it's not something you can add.
Doesnt sound promising, but perhaps it’ll only be available for the new phones.

If Apple were to implement this anywhere (cc, shortcuts, etc), I’d expect it to not be available unless you have a phone that supports it.

We may have to wait until phones are out to properly answer this.

edit: aside, but shortcuts I would expect to be there always because you can already write shortcuts that work on other devices than the one you‘re using to create the shortcut.
 
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