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Apple has replaced its more than a decade old ring / vibrate switch with a new Action Button that lets you customize what it does — including switching from ring to vibrate.
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The switch is gone.
Image: Apple
Apple revealed the new iPhone 15 Pro today, and there’s a brand-new button on the side that can be customized to trigger a specific function. This new “Action Button” is similar to the one introduced on the Apple Watch Ultra, which can activate workouts, among other abilities.
The Action Button, which replaces the ring / vibrate switch, can be programmed to do things like activating the camera, starting a recording, opening a note, or running your own custom shortcuts. The button switches the iPhone between ring and vibrate by default, which is vital since it has replaced the ring / vibrate switch that Apple has included on the iPhone since its debut in 2007. You can feel a haptic feedback when it changes.
Those who would like to make their iPhones silent by flipping the switch in their pockets (without looking) can still do so with the Pro since the button is in the exact same spot. But if an actual switch is desired, the regular iPhone 15 still has it.
On the Apple Watch Ultra, the Action Button is large, visually apparent, and painted in orange, whereas the iPhone’s is about the size of the ring / vibrate switch it replaced and matches the phone’s color.
The Action Button, though subtle, is one of few visually noticeable changes to the exterior of the iPhone in many years — alongside the new USB-C port on the bottom of the device.