An iPhone 16 held in hand, showing the iphone action button and camera control on its side edge

Anxious iPhone 16 Owner Faces Losing the Action Button to Camera Control

2026-11-08

Apple may be preparing to remove one of the two side controls it added to the iPhone 16 lineup in 2024. A prolific leaker says the Action Button will merge with Camera Control. For one Creative Bloq staff writer who owns an iPhone 16, the change would be hard to accept.

Apple announced the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus on September 9, 2024. Both models featured Camera Control and the Action Button. Pre-orders opened September 13, and sales began September 20.

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Apple described Camera Control as a way to “capture memories” and reach visual intelligence quickly. Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, called it one of the features that made the phone a strong upgrade. The Action Button received less attention in the launch materials, which described it only as a way to quickly access useful features.

Creative Bloq staff writer Natalie Fear says her experience has been different. She reaches for the control far more often than Camera Control. Two years after the launch, she says the Camera Control button and she “rarely make contact.”

She was won over at first. Watching an Apple Genius demonstrate the scroll gesture convinced her it would become part of her daily routine. That changed at concerts. Trying to zoom while holding a drink, she says, risked spilling beer. Now she uses Camera Control only occasionally to make taking photos easier.

Close-up of the iPhone 16 action button on the device's right side edge. — (Image credit: Apple)

What the leak claims

Instant Digital, a leaker Creative Bloq describes as prolific, claims that future iPhone models will drop the Action Button. According to the leak, its functions will move to Camera Control.

This button is typically used to control silent mode. Users can also assign it to Focus, Voice Memo, the flashlight, and other functions. The leak suggests those quick actions would sit under one touch-sensitive control instead of two separate buttons.

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The iPhone 16 camera control button sitting beside the side button on the frame. — (Image credit: Apple)

Fear’s view on the iphone action button

Fear says she finds herself reaching for it more than Camera Control, citing its simple function and the haptic feedback of its short buzz. She says she will miss it. She compares the potential change to the removal of the Home Button, which she mourned before moving on. She expects to do the same with the Action Button.

The leak leaves open when the change would arrive and how Camera Control would handle both sets of functions. Those answers will matter more to users than the loss of a single button. For now, the iphone action button remains on the iPhone 16 and in Apple’s current lineup.

Source: creativebloq.com

Frequently asked questions

What does the leak say will happen to the Action Button?

Instant Digital, a leaker Creative Bloq describes as prolific, claims future iPhone models will drop the Action Button. According to the leak, its functions will move to Camera Control, which would sit under one touch-sensitive control instead of two separate buttons.

Which iPhone models include both Camera Control and the Action Button?

Apple announced the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus on September 9, 2024, and both models featured Camera Control and the Action Button. Pre-orders opened September 13, and sales began September 20.

Why does Natalie Fear rarely use Camera Control on her iPhone 16?

Fear found it hard to use at concerts, since trying to zoom while holding a drink risked spilling beer. She now uses Camera Control only occasionally to make taking photos easier.

How does Natalie Fear feel about possibly losing the Action Button?

Fear says she will miss the Action Button, which she reaches for more than Camera Control because of its simple function and the haptic feedback of its short buzz. She compares the potential change to the removal of the Home Button, which she mourned before moving on, and expects to do the same with the Action Button.