Apple plans to drop the iPhone's dedicated Action button starting with new models in the second half of 2027, Weibo leaker Instant Digital claims in a post MacRumors covered on November 6. The button's job would move to Camera Control: one press would open the camera, and a long press would run whatever action the user has assigned.
The leaker specifically says the Action button is the one going away and Camera Control stays. People who use the separate button for Silent mode, Focus, the flashlight or Shortcuts could still trigger those actions, just from a different spot on the phone.
Read more: How to Customize the Action Button on iPhone
Two Controls With Overlapping Gestures
The way the controls work today fits the claim. The Action button already needs a long press to run its assigned task, and a single press of Camera Control already opens the camera. A long press of Camera Control currently opens Visual Intelligence, so that gesture would have to change jobs. iOS 27 also puts Visual Intelligence inside the Camera app as Siri mode, which could give Apple room to reassign it.
Apple introduced the Action button on the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023 as a replacement for the Ring/Silent switch, and the iPhone 18 Pro still has it. The iPhone Duo already ships without one while keeping Camera Control. Camera Control itself had a mixed reception when it debuted on the iPhone 16, with some reviewers questioning its usefulness, complexity and ergonomics.
How Much Weight the Claim Carries
This is one leaker's post, and Apple's plans for 2027 could change before any phone ships. AppleInsider notes that Weibo leakers do not have a great track record and that Instant Digital has sometimes posted what seems more like wishful thinking than an actual leak. The same leaker earlier claimed Apple would simplify Camera Control on the iPhone 18 lineup by removing its capacitive sensing layer and relying on pressure sensing to cut costs, and that change did not materialize.
AppleInsider's translation of the post refers to "new iPhone models in the second half of next year" without naming which ones. That timing would line up with the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, when Apple is also rumored to be planning a redesign of its Pro models.
