Multiple reports suggest Apple is considering removing the standalone Action Button from new iPhones starting in the second half of 2027.
The coverage traces back to a claim from Weibo tipster Instant Digital, rather than an announcement from Apple.
The proposed change would move the Action Button’s customizable functions into Camera Control, according to MacDailyNews.
A single press would open the Camera app. Pressing and holding would trigger the user-assigned task, such as switching to Silent mode, turning on the flashlight, activating a Focus mode, or running a shortcut.
For people who rely on those functions, the change would mean learning a different button location and gesture combination. The shortcuts themselves would remain available under the rumored arrangement.
Apple introduced the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023, replacing the Ring/Silent switch. Camera Control arrived with the iPhone 16 series, adding another physical way to access the camera.
The timing could put the redesign alongside Apple’s anticipated 20th-anniversary iPhone lineup, AppleInsider reported. However, the final model names and which devices might receive the change remain uncertain.
AppleInsider also noted a complication: Pressing and holding Camera Control already provides access to Visual Intelligence. How Apple would handle that interaction remains unclear.
There is a design precedent. Both outlets reported that the iPhone Duo omitted a dedicated Action Button. MacDailyNews noted that it retained Camera Control.
Still, the reports do not establish a confirmed roadmap. AppleInsider cautioned that Instant Digital’s claims haven't always been reliable, and MacDailyNews reported that Apple hasn't commented on this one.
For now, the prospect is a redesigned control on future hardware, with no confirmed launch date or final specifications.
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