Apple could remove the Action Button from the rumored iPhone 20 Pro and transfer its programmable functions to the Camera Control, according to Weibo tipster Momentary Digital. If implemented, the change would leave the phone with one fewer side-frame button while retaining access to customizable shortcuts through the camera-focused control.
The proposed control scheme would use a regular Camera Control press to launch the camera, while a long press would trigger the action selected in Settings. The available actions could reportedly include:
- Silent mode
- Flashlight
- A Focus mode
- A custom shortcut
Camera Control currently uses a long press for Visual Intelligence. The report suggests that bringing Visual Intelligence into the Camera app through a Siri mode in iOS 27 could free that gesture for an Action Button-style shortcut, though neither the software behavior nor the iOS 27 feature has been confirmed by Apple.
Apple introduced the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023, replacing the long-running ring/silent switch. Camera Control followed with the iPhone 16 series a year later as a dedicated photography and camera-settings input. The report also says Apple has explored an Action Button-free layout for its rumored iPhone Duo foldable, which is said to retain Camera Control.
The alleged redesign is tied to broader claims around Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone generation. Previous reports have pointed to a possible iPhone 20 name, potentially skipping iPhone 19, along with testing of displays curved along all four sides and extending further toward the chassis edges. Apple has not announced an iPhone 20 Pro or confirmed its naming, hardware design, or release timing; the Pro models are currently rumored for fall 2027.
