Rumor: Apple to Merge iPhone Action Button Into Camera Control

Apple is reportedly planning to remove the Action button as a standalone piece of hardware on the iPhone and merge its function into the Camera Control button. The claim comes from the leaker known as Instant Digital, in a new post on Weibo.

According to the post, a short press of the combined button would open the camera, while a long press would run whatever function the user has assigned to the Action button. The leaker stressed that the separate Action button would disappear entirely, while Camera Control would remain on the device. All of this is unconfirmed for now and should be treated as rumor.

How the combined button would work

The described arrangement lines up with how the two features behave today. The Action button requires a long press to trigger its assigned function, while a single press of Camera Control launches the camera. Merging the two would preserve both familiar interactions, with the customizable action simply moving to a different spot on the device.

Long-pressing Camera Control currently opens Visual Intelligence. In iOS 27, however, that feature has been built directly into the Camera app as a Siri mode. That integration could free Apple to reassign the long-press gesture, while Visual Intelligence stays accessible through the Camera app.

Earlier hints and Camera Control's history

The fact that the iPhone Duo also lacks an Action button, even though Camera Control is retained, stands out as a notable detail. It sets a precedent for an iPhone without a dedicated Action button and may point to a broader change down the line.

Camera Control drew mixed reactions when it debuted with the iPhone 16. Some critics took issue with its usefulness, its complexity and its ergonomics, so further refinement seems plausible. Merging it with the Action button could give Camera Control a clearer purpose. Dropping a separate key might also simplify manufacturing and reduce the chance of users confusing the Action button with the volume buttons beside it.

Design rumors and timing

Apple was previously said to be working on a simpler Camera Control design for the iPhone 18 series, but that change did not materialize. At the time, Instant Digital claimed the capacitive sensing layer would be removed to cut costs, with functionality maintained through pressure sensing. The new claim raises the possibility that the redesign is still in development, though it is unclear whether the two rumors describe related plans.

The Action button arrived in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro, replacing the long-standing Ring/Silent switch. It can be assigned to functions such as silent mode, Focus, the flashlight and Shortcuts. A combined control would keep a dedicated route to those actions while reducing the number of physical buttons.

According to Instant Digital, the change would begin with new iPhone models launching in the second half of 2027. That timing would likely coincide with the 20th anniversary iPhone models expected next fall. Apple's naming plans are not yet known; the devices could ship as the iPhone 19 Pro, iPhone 20 Pro or under a different name.