Why does my iPhone 16 Pro Max Action Button require two presses?

Have you tried to do what is recommended by Apple, which is to press and hold the action button to engage whatever you have programmed it to do? Just tapping it once, doesn't engage it. It needs to be pressed and held until the option engages. This is likely why people are finding they need to tap it twice. It was not designed to work with one press. It's one press and hold. Give it a try and see if it works.

If this is different from how you used it previously, I'd guess too many people were accidentally engaging what it was programmed to perform by one press. Pressing and holding the button is more purposeful.

Read this link about using the Action Button on iPhone from Apple --> Use and customize the Action button on iPhone - Apple Support (IN)

Use the Action button

To perform the action assigned to the Action button, press and hold the Action button.

For many functions, the Action button can be used to turn a setting on or off. For example, if the selected action is Silent Mode, you can press and hold the Action button to put iPhone in Silent mode . If you press and hold the Action button again, it turns off Silent mode.

Have you tried this without picking up the phone? If you have Raise to Wake on, your test is not capturing the experience some of us are having.

Jeff Donald wrote:

So, I just tested this on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. If my iPhone is locked, pressing Action Button does not unlock the iPhone. I have to unlock using Face ID and then a single long press of Action button works.

I believe during the first press the iPhone is not yet unlocked and it doesn’t register. But the second press happens after iPhone is unlocked and works as expected.

I just duplicated the above several times.

You are correct. I should have clarified, that my phone has to be unlocked for the single long press on the Action Button to engage it. But, a single press on the Action Button, brings up my Lock Screen and with the phone angled away from my face, so Face ID is NOT enable, a long press of the Action Button does engage the action.

Your advice is good for normal action button behavior, but we are reporting a seemingly abnormal behavior.

I just tested the button again with my iPhone 16 and consistently replicated the issue. When my phone is in my pocket and has been idle for awhile (say, 15 minutes or more), the action button requires two press and holds to activate. On first press and hold, I could hold it for any length of time and it wouldn't activate. But press and hold a second time immediately after and it will work.

It seems to be related to the phone being idle for a certain length of time, after which point it requires two press and holds. It could also be related to the camera being dark (e.g., in a pocket or purse). Or both idle time and no light hitting the camera lens. I could understand the camera factor being a conscious design choice by Apple, to reduce accidental activation when the phone is in a pocket or purse, but if that's the case, Apple should communicate to users about that behavior and that it is by design. Or better yet, give users the ability to toggle how many press and holds the Action Button requires when the phone is stored.

But as I said, I can replicate this issue purely on idle time alone, with full daylight reaching the camera lens, so it seems to be a flaw. Given how subtle the haptic feedback can be for turning the ringtone on and off, it is definitely annoying trying to change the setting when my phone is pocketed.

I just test mine and on the first long push, I do get a haptic notification. Try a Forced Restart on your iPhone, if you haven't done so.

Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

OK. I understand. But I simply cannot replicate this behavior on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Even after the phone has been idle, with the screen locked, to enable the action I've set for the Action Button, all it requires is one press and hold.

You should report the behavior you're seeing to Apple via this feedback link --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

If you want to use it for muting your phone, don't just press and release it. Press and hold it for at least a second. It's this way on purpose, so you don't accidentally mute your phone, which too many have done. So Apple now makes you hold the button more purposely to make sure you really want to mute your phone.

I am also experiencing this button issue. I tried rebooting and even asking Siri to mute my phone but she said there was a problem accessing the mute function. It’s like the mute button just quit working. But Siri telling me that makes me think it’s software related not hardware related. I was worried calls would come in unmuted since sound effects like the ticking of this keyboard are unable to be muted. I’ve tried force restarting as well. Anything else we can try?

So, I just tested this on my iPhone 16 Pro Max. If my iPhone is locked, pressing Action Button does not unlock the iPhone. I have to unlock using Face ID and then a single long press of Action button works.

I believe during the first press the iPhone is not yet unlocked and it doesn’t register. But the second press happens after iPhone is unlocked and works as expected.

I just duplicated the above several times.

I've been watching this thread and decided to try and replicate some of the behavior. I noticed the OP stating a time function, so I set my iPhone to the side for over 15 minutes. I have an iPhone 16 Pro Max with iOS 18.2. The phone was locked and I pressed and held the Action button which I have set to silence the phone and I received the haptic feedback and it had set the phone to silent. Now that I've used the phone, I will change the setting and then let the phone set for a period of time again and test.

I think this is related to how long the users has set to activate the Lock Screen. Mine is set to immediately. The longest time is 15 minutes (or never but that’s risky). In Settings > Face ID & Passcode > various functions can be set to work. But none of the Action Button options are there.

Depending on how the user has Face ID options set, Lock Screen can open almost instantly with a swipe up or be delayed for perhaps a second or little longer. If my screen is locked I cannot access flashlight, camera or Action Button.

I’m thinking this is the issue.

Given yours works as expected, but it doesn't for myself and other users, it definitely seems like a bug for some phones. I just submitted my feedback using your link. Thanks!

If other users are experiencing this two press and holds issue, I encourage you to submit your feedback as well: Feedback - iPhone - Apple.

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

I've been watching this thread and decided to try and replicate some of the behavior. I noticed the OP stating a time function, so I set my iPhone to the side for over 15 minutes. I have an iPhone 16 Pro Max with iOS 18.2. The phone was locked and I pressed and held the Action button which I have set to silence the phone and I received the haptic feedback and it had set the phone to silent. Now that I've used the phone, I will change the setting and then let the phone set for a period of time again and test.

I just did what you suggested and yes, from a fully locked screen, a long press of the Action Button engages the action and I get the Haptic feedback.

ChrisJ4203 wrote:

I changed the Action Button settings to Flashlight. I locked the phone and it has set for more than 15 minutes. I turned the phone away from me as I did before so I could see the rear of the phone and without unlocking the phone pressed and held the Action button and the flashlight turned on. Without unlocking the phone I pressed and held and turned the flashlight off. End of test. It seems to have worked as expected for me.

It's working exactly as designed for me too.

Same here. Only happens when the phone is not in use for a while, e.g. when it’s in your pocket or idle on the desk. No problem using the action button at first press when the phone is on.