If you have an iPhone 16 or an iPhone 17, you will find different buttons on the sides of your smartphone. Ancient iPhones have less, depending on the model, but all these buttons are multitasking: they are delivered with secondary functions as well as primary buttons.
For example, did you know that you can use one of the volume buttons to take images when you are in the camera application? This can facilitate the capture of photos, compared to try to hit the circular button on the screen. Being aware of the fact that each button can do means an iPhone plus productive and more practical experience.
You may not have the five buttons if you don’t have one of the new iPhones, but here is what you can do with it.
The Power / Wake / Side button
The button that most of us consider the power button or the alarm button (to lock or light the screen) is actually officially called the side button, if you ask Apple. Whatever the nomenclature, the functions are the same: press once to lock the screen (if it is unlocked), or to light the lock screen (if it is locked and you look at the display always on).
You can also press and maintain this button to launch Siri – as long as it is activated in the settings via Apple Intelligence & Siri> Talk & Type To Siri. On the same parameter screens, you can activate the TO Siri Type option, SIRI vocal activation and SIRI activation when your iPhone is locked.
The power button can also be driven twice as a quick succession to launch Apple Pay, but again, there is a rocking switch for this in the settings: Applications> Portfolio> Pay Pay DEFAULTS. If this is not activated or if Apple Pay is not configured, it will not work.
There is also a triple tap option for the power button, and this can be defined on a shortcut of your choice by going in the settings, then choosing Accessibility> Accessibility shortcut. Among the options here, you have a follow -up of touch and eyes.
The volume buttons up and the volume
The volume and volume buttons modify the volume of your iPhone of course, whether you listen to music or a podcast, or on a call. As mentioned above, you can also press one of them to take a photo (or video) when you are in the camera application. It also works for several other photo taking applications, including Instagram.
You can do many others with the volume buttons, in combination with the power button. Press the Volume UP button and the Power button together to take a screenshot, which can then be saved on your photo gallery.
Press and hold the Down volume button and the power button, and you get three options on the screen:
- You can turn off the iPhone
- Consult your medical identification information (at hand if someone else finds your phone after an accident)
- Or make an emergency call. You can also continue to maintain the key combination to make this emergency call.
There is also the possibility of forcing a restart if your handset has also frozen. Press quickly and release the volume up button, then quickly press the Down volume button, then press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.
The action button
Then, the action button on the left side, when you look at the iPhone, which replaced the old silent ring / switch on recent models. This is the most customizable button on the iPhone, but by default, it is defined to activate or deactivate the silent mode.
To make changes to what the Action button does, open the settings and press the Action button. You have a total of 12 different options, as well as the option to deactivate it completely: you can have it launched a focus mode, launch the camera, launch the visual intelligence function, switch the flashlight, start a vocal memo, identify the music, launch the translation tool and open the magistracy.
In addition, the action button can be used to start something from the control center, from the shortcut application or in the accessibility menu. In each case, you will be asked to make a choice from all the options available.
Camera control
Finally, there is control of the camera, which was only introduced with the iPhone 16 and was held with the iPhone 17. A single tap on it will launch the application instantly – knowing if you want to turn or film something very quickly.
With the open camera, you can press again to take a photo, or press and keep starting a video. You can also access the camera settings: slightly press the button, then slide to choose a specific control (including exposure and zoom) – again to select, and slide again to adjust.
If you head to settings on your iPhone, you can choose Camera> Camera control To modify the options available via the button, and Accessibility> Camera control To fully deactivate the button or refine the amount of pressure necessary to activate it.
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