Tips on how to use the iPhone’s Motion Button to order espresso, speak to AI, and extra

Apple launched the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro as a alternative for the Ring / Silent swap that had been on iPhones for the reason that first technology mannequin. Moreover being an experiment in haptic buttons on the iPhone, Apple imagines the Motion Button being assigned to a number of pre-approved actions, like turning on the iPhones flashlight characteristic or toggling on a Focus mode. These built-in expertise are useful, however you do not have to stay with the defaults when you do not need to. The Motion Button can turn out to be practically infinitely customizable when you assign a Shortcut to it.

Whereas Apple figures out its method to AI, Shortcuts and the Motion Button are a genuinely helpful technique to make utilizing your telephone simpler and what it could actually truly do extra highly effective. Pocket-lint has lined some of the ways the Action Button can be used, however there are a bunch of nice third-party apps with Shortcuts now that you need to use, too. Listed below are among the greatest makes use of for the Motion Button and the apps that make them doable.

5

Capturing an iPhone photograph with out the dramatic processing

Halide Mark II

Developer

Lux Optics

Subscription price

$10/month, $20/12 months, $60 one-time buy

Rollover Credit

N/A

Offline downloads

N/A

Halide is knowledgeable digital camera app that provides you extra management over how your photographs look throughout and after you shoot them.

Halide is a third-party digital camera app with a user-friendly design and professional options that offer you extra management over the look and high quality of the photographs you seize. One of many app’s most fascinating options is a brand new photograph processing choice known as “Process Zero” that strips away the iPhone’s aggressive HDR and smoothing to supply one thing nearer to what the telephone’s sensor captures. It will possibly produce some actually lovely photographs and makes Halide a terrific choice to assign to the Motion Button.

You’ll be able to set Halide to make use of Course of Zero picture processing by default while you first arrange the app, or swap to it within the app’s settings menus. As soon as you have completed that, the Motion Button might be set to leap instantly into the app and even be used as a shutter button. Simply head to the Settings app, faucet on Motion Button, after which swipe all the way in which till you see the Shortcut choice and faucet on it. From the Shortcut menu, faucet on Halide after which faucet on Open Halide with In-App Set off.

Associated

The iPhone 16’s Camera Control button sucks right now

It is each half-baked and redundant for lots of customers.

4

Including an occasion to your calendar on the go

Fantastical

Developer

Flexibits

Subscription price

$5/month billed yearly, $8/month billed yearly for household plan

Rollover Credit

N/A

Offline downloads

N/A

Fantastical is a user-friendly calendar app that permits you to add occasions with pure language prompts.

The quickest manner so as to add an occasion to the iOS Calendar app if you do not have it open is thru Siri. Utilizing your voice to schedule issues is cumbersome in its personal manner, so your subsequent best choice is to leverage an app like Fantastical and the Motion Button. Fantastical requires a subscription, so it will not be for everybody, however its capability to translate pure language right into a clear calendar occasion is fairly nice. With the motion arrange, you simply press the Motion Button, sort out the occasion as when you had been talking to a good friend. Fantastical will present you a preview of the occasion, after which it’s going to be scheduled.

As soon as you have arrange Fantastical for the primary time within the app and subscribed, then you possibly can join it to the Motion Button. Open the Settings app, faucet on Motion Button, after which swipe all the way in which till you attain the Shortcut choice and faucet on it. From the Shortcut menu, faucet on Fantastical after which faucet on Create from Enter.

Associated

Google Calendar isn’t your only option. I use this privacy-first alternative instead

Security options aren’t the one factor in Proton’s column.

3

Jotting one thing down earlier than you neglect it

Craft and Bear

OS

iOS, macOS, iPadOS, Net

CPU

N/A

Reminiscence

N/A

What’s included?

N/A

Craft is a feature-rich note-taking app that rivals Notion in each design and options. It is easy to make use of, though there’s a steep studying curve if you wish to turn out to be an knowledgeable with the app. You’ll be able to attempt it without spending a dime, however plans begin at $8 for limitless entry. 

Whereas the iPad gives a easy technique to rapidly add a be aware simply by tapping the Apple Pencil to the display screen, the method of jotting down an thought or a job it is advisable to full is a bit more difficult on the iPhone. A great way to streamline issues is to assign a note-taking or data administration app like Craft or Bear to the Motion Button. With a button press, you possibly can leap straight to a particular be aware or add a job to your to-dos.

By default, you possibly can solely set the Motion Button to open Bear, however in order for you a button press to do one thing extra particular, you may should construct a customized shortcut. Open Shortcuts, faucet on the “+” icon to create a brand new shortcut, then scroll down and faucet on Bear. Then scroll to the underside of the motion listing and faucet on Create a New Word and faucet on Completed. To assign your new shortcut to the Motion Button, open the Settings app, faucet on Motion Button, after which swipe to the Shortcut choice and faucet on it. Faucet in your new Bear shortcut and it will be assigned.

When you’d choose to make use of Craft, say, so as to add a brand new entry to your to-do listing, open Settings, faucet on Motion Button, after which faucet on the Shortcut choice. Scroll right down to the Craft actions, faucet on it, after which faucet on Create Job. Now, while you press the Motion Button you may be despatched on to an empty job discipline.

Associated

This clever app unexpectedly became my note-taking default

Craft is an intuitive note-taking app that is rapidly turn out to be my favourite.

2

Ordering a espresso out of your favourite store

Starbucks and Dunkin’

Developer

Starbucks

Subscription price

N/A

Rollover Credit

N/A

Offline downloads

N/A

Starbucks’ cell app permits you to order and pay for espresso at each Starbucks espresso store.

Relying on what your go-to espresso chain is, you may need to do extra setup to show your Motion Button right into a espresso ordering instrument. The comfort is value it, although. Each the Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts apps work with Shortcuts and can be utilized with the Motion Button. You’ll be able to have your app order your most up-to-date order with a press or a particular order you want with a bit extra work. In both case, it is useful to have an account in both the Starbucks or Dunkin’ apps, with cost strategies already connected. It really works even higher when you’ve already ordered one thing via the app.

To arrange Starbucks on the Motion Button, open the Settings app, faucet on Motion Button, swipe to the Shortcut choice, and faucet on it. Faucet on Starbucks, faucet on Order Forward, after which the Motion Button might be prepared to make use of.

For Dunkin, you may should construct a customized shortcut within the Shortcuts app. Open Shortcuts, faucet on the “+” icon, then scroll right down to the Dunkin’ choices. Faucet on New Dunkin’ Order, faucet on the blue arrow, then set the choices for Order Sort, Order, Retailer, and Pickup Sort. As soon as these variables are set, faucet on Completed, and your Shortcut might be able to assign to the Motion Button. You are able to do that by going to Settings, tapping on Motion Button, swiping to and tapping on Shortcut, after which tapping on the Dunkin’ shortcut from the menu. This Dunkin’ shortcut solely works when you’ve ordered one thing from a Dunkin’ Donuts retailer earlier than.

Associated

The iPhone Action Button can be 7 times more useful with this simple trick

You should utilize Shortcuts to make your Motion Button multitask.

1

Speaking to a different, extra succesful voice assistant

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity

Developer

Google

Subscription price

Free, $20/month for extra utilization

Rollover Credit

N/A

Offline downloads

N/A

Gemini is Google’s premier AI assistant app for the Android working system that may present textual content responses to questions, generate and analyze photographs, and is now accessible on iOS.

Siri’s capability to supply sturdy solutions and even have one thing akin to a dialog is restricted. Apple’s Apple Intelligence enhancements ought to make the assistant extra succesful, however it stays to be seen once they’ll truly be totally launched. To reply a pure language query or have a dialog with AI, it is advisable to depend on a third-party AI assistant like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity. All 4 apps might be assigned to the Motion Button, and within the case of ChatGPT and Gemini, you possibly can communicate to the assistants instantly of their respective voice modes.

To assign an AI assistant to the Motion Button, faucet on Settings, after which faucet on Motion Button. Within the Motion Button menu, swipe to and faucet on Shortcut, after which faucet on the AI assistant of your selection:

• For ChatGPT, select Ask ChatGPT
• For Gemini, select Discuss Reside with Gemini
• For Perplexity, select Begin Voice Mode
• For Claude, you may should construct a customized shortcut. Open Shortcuts, faucet on the “+” icon, faucet on Claude, after which faucet on Ask Claude and set the Message variable to Textual content. Faucet on Completed and the shortcut might be prepared to make use of. To assign it to the Motion Button, open the Settings app, faucet on Motion Button, then swipe to and faucet on Shortcut. Faucet your new Claude shortcut and you will be able to go

Associated

I replaced Siri with ChatGPT Voice, and now you can too

Kick Siri to the curb and exchange her with ChatGPT’s extra superior voice mannequin.

The Motion Button can solely get extra helpful

Apple appears more and more invested in Shortcuts and the underlying software program that makes it work. The extra apps that assist Shortcuts, the extra issues you need to use the Action Button and every other a part of the iOS expertise that faucets into it, like Siri.

When you’re on the lookout for extra visible methods to customise your, iOS 18 introduced loads of nice choices to iOS, and when you’re prepared to dig into the Shortcuts app, you possibly can create every kind of custom home screens.