Apple introduced the 'Action Button' for iPhone on September 9, 2024 and filed its patent in May 2024. In a press release, Apple stated that "the Action button comes to iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, allowing users to easily access a variety of functions with just a press. Users can quickly open the camera, flashlight, or controls; switch between Ring and Silent; recognize music with Shazam; activate Voice Memos, Focus, Translate, and accessibility features like Magnifier; or use Shortcuts for more options."

Yesterday, the U.S. Patent Office published a patent application relating to the Action Button though expanding this feature to all three left side buttons in the future giving iPhone owners the most customization features on a smartphone. In fact, Action Buttons, according to Apple will extend to other Apple devices like Macs (desktops and notebooks), the iPad, Apple Watch and more.

Apple's patent application states that there is a need for electronic devices with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for providing and updating status information. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace conventional methods for providing and updating status information.

In some embodiments, the device is a desktop computer. In some embodiments, the device is portable (e.g., a notebook computer, tablet computer, or handheld device). In some embodiments, the device is a personal electronic device (e.g., a wearable electronic device, such as a watch).

Apple's patent FIG. 5E below illustrates a rotated representation of configurable iPhone #100-1, revealing a more visible representation of edge #518-1 on which first input region #506-1, second input region #508-1, and third input region #508-2 are arranged.

The rotating animation of the configurable iPhone provides a visual indication of the buttons that could be customized to provide iPhone users with the ultimate configurable smartphone. The additional patent figures below illustrate a sampling of the customization that could be coming to a future iPhone.

For full details, review Apple's 55 page patent application 20240393933.