Apple has introduced a significant change in the third beta of iOS 17.1 for iPhone 15 Pro. This change focuses on the operation of the Action Button and how it responds in different circumstances. A small improvement that we will undoubtedly appreciate.
An action button that knows when it should be activated
The action button has become a truly versatile tool for hundreds of actions, allowing quick access to various functions such as the camera, flashlight, voice recorder, concentration mode settings, magnifier function, and much more. However, this convenience also posed a peculiar situation: the unintentional activation of these tools while the iPhone was in a pocket or bag.
A somewhat uncomfortable situation that has fortunately received a quick response from Apple. The Cupertino company has taken action, and starting from the .1 update of iOS 17, currently in beta, the action button will not activate certain functions if the iPhone detects that it is inside a pocket or a bag.
As a result, functions like the camera, flashlight, voice recorder, or magnifier will be disabled to prevent accidental activations. It’s important to mention that not all actions receive the same consideration. Actions that make sense to be activated even from the pocket, such as the mute function and executing a Shortcut, can still be performed by long-pressing the action button under any circumstances.
With this distinction, Apple achieves a smart balance between functionality and speed to perform any action and prevent activations when we don’t want them. A change that is undoubtedly welcomed by all users of iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, showing how the feedback we can provide to Apple holds great value, in this case, to avoid unintentional activations of certain actions.
