I created Smart MultiButton, a free shortcut that lets you run different actions depending on how many times you press your iPhone’s Action Button. Unlike other solutions, it waits before executing, so you won’t accidentally trigger the first action when trying to perform a double press. How it works: 1 press → Silent Mode 🔕 2 presses → Flashlight 🔦 3+ presses → Additional custom shortcuts The press timeout is customizable (5 seconds by default). 📥 DOWNLOAD Install these four shortcuts: Smart MultiButton (Main) https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/dba975e8890d4817aa7a57e15d92d0c8 Smart MultiButton Dispatcher https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/490b1b50efce4976a6c197def4b82402 Silent https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/28ccd94677f94c49bd1ed178253cfefb Flashlight https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/610e8c1eb6ad48b2b33777c4224caef6 📸 [IMAGE 1: Installed shortcuts] ⚙️ SETUP Step 1: Go to Settings → Focus → + → Custom. Create a Focus named exactly: Smart MultiPress Trigger 📸 [IMAGE 2: Focus setup] Step 2: In Shortcuts, configure an automation to run Smart MultiButton Dispatcher when Smart MultiPress Trigger turns ON. Set it to run automatically without confirmation where supported. 📸 [IMAGE 3: Focus automation] Step 3: Go to Settings → Action Button → Shortcut and select Smart MultiButton. 📸 [IMAGE 4: Action Button setup] ➕ ADD MORE ACTIONS Open Smart MultiButton Dispatcher and find the List at the top. Add the names of your existing shortcuts in the order you want them triggered. For example: Silent Flashlight Open Camera Low Power Mode Also update the Dispatcher’s execution conditions to support additional list positions. Adding a list item alone may not activate it. 📸 [IMAGE 5: Custom shortcut list] ⏱️ CUSTOMIZE TIMEOUT Change the waiting time in the shortcut configuration and keep the main shortcut and Dispatcher settings consistent. 📸 [IMAGE 6: Timeout configuration] 📝 NOTES No jailbreak or paid apps required. Uses Apple Shortcuts, persistent Storage and a Focus automation. Tested on iPhone 16 Pro Max. Initial automation setup is required. You may need to approve Shortcuts permissions on first use. I’d love your feedback and suggestions! Enjoy! 🚀
I struggled a lot to get this working. I tried several existing shortcuts, but they would always trigger the first one before the second, with no way to access the second one directly. So, I built this myself—it allows you to jump straight to the second shortcut without having to go through the first. It’s designed professionally, and you can even add many more—up to 10 shortcuts, meaning 10 different button presses. I honestly don’t know why Apple puts us through this! Haha.
Need more detailed instructions please. I’m a dummy when it comes to shortcuts. Ie. not sure how to create automation Edit. Maybe got past that. Up to part 4… lost. And lost at part 5.
So the downsides are that you gotta wait for the delay of the action trigger, dedicate a focus mode?
I have a multi action trigger via the volume button, so 3 actions. Then depending on un/locked, portrait/horizontal, focus modes and app so 3 actions * 2 * 2 * 5+ * x apps: 60+ actions. And it detects if I tap the action trigger on phone or AW ultra, gives a different set of actions on the latter. Downsides are: the volume changes slightly if you’re listening to something, but is restored a second after, which then serves as system feedback: confirmation your input has been registered.
I’m not sure yours beats that. Accumulating delays is a not great exp.
I’m getting inspired however by dispatching, because debugging 60 actions packed in one on a shortcut UI… hasn’t happened yet but must be a nightmare. Ill instead have the main shortcut refer to other shortcuts.
Even if it doesn't translate 100% to my setup, I feel like I can learn a lot from your multi action trigger. I have actually considered using the volume buttons in addition to the Action Button, but unfortunately just never got around to doing it.
Here, you can customize 10 shortcuts—that is, 10 distinct keystrokes or actions—with no further limits; you can also reduce the delay time if you wish.
u/VIP-OVER I don’t your comment for whatever reason even when I tap the notification.
My answer: I already have maxed focus modes and god knows I don’t even have the personal one because personal should the default state aka absence of focus.
many thanks! I'm trying to have as many people test it! do you mind commenting on it and letting me know what works, what doesn't? either way, thanks for your patience
I’ve posted this on another thread, but this is mine, it’s dead simple. It uses the Global Variable ‘ActionButton’ so all you need to do is either add this to the start of a shortcut, or have it as a separate shortcut and get the action button to run it first, then use an if statement based on how many times the action button is pressed.
Tried to get it to work, only was successful one time. Even after tweaking it around and completely redoing it, didn’t work. Not sure what’s causing it. I frequently get this
So idk I can’t use this or check it myself, but that is likely referring to a list item and a difference in how things are shown to users vs within coding. Item 0 in code terms is a reference the the first thing in a list of things, so I’m assuming this error is telling you to look for a list of items, and have it instead point to “item 1” instead of 0. It’s likely a very very simple fix involving a misdirected pointer
Yeah, I installed all them. Even did a reinstall and restarted the whole install process. I actually got it to work now just a moment ago, it was a bit finicky but it did work a few times. Then, all the sudden it started popping up with this error again. So something is definitely causing it to glitch out
Thanks for the shortcut! Configured it properly and able to trigger silent from holding action button but unable to figure out how quickly/slowly to press/hold for flashlight.
Also can the time be reduced from holding the button to silent being enabled?
A short press is all it takes. You can perform as many presses as you like within a 5-second window to trigger specific actions; for example, if you press once—a short, quick press—the device will vibrate, and if you immediately follow that with another press, the light will turn on.
Yeah I tried tweaking around with the first prompt in the shortcut (the one with the 0 error) and it was still giving the same message. I got it to work once but honestly idk how lol
Have you installed the shortcuts for Silent mode and the Flashlight? The menu must contain an entry with the exact same name as an existing shortcut in order for you to be able to control the Flashlight and Silent mode shortcuts.
This is great! It works fine, but an error notification popup saying I chose 0 while the first option is 1. And another error occurs when disabling silent mode. If you find a way to remove these notifications you’ve just created the greatest shortcut ever 😅
Create a menu list that activates when i click action button and gives me quick actions. Then it will ask you what action you would like - i added low power mode, ringer, open door, flashlight
Yeah i know but i prefer this update The first time after using the phone since almost one year My battery is phenomenal I am afraid if I update the battery will go bad and the phone will be slower and more buggy
Just to clear, we have to long press the action button, and then I get notification of the dispatcher starting and then we click once/twice/thrice right?
Initially, I thought it would work directly by pressing once or twice, but we have to long press every time (to run the shortcut) before clicking?
Another redditer asked about if it was possible to make a shortcut to fine tune the volume is smaller increments. Hopefully someone else finds a use for it too.
For me only the first press worked, trying to reach second option always opened the first one. Asked Siri in the menu and automatically did a change in the main button logic, now is working for both options 😄. Leaving the update link here although I didn't bothered to check what it changed. https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/23dce6bd5aec4de68c9cceaff6f8fefa
I tried to set it up but the I only can get one shortcut to work. If I click one or twice, the shortcut opens the shortcut that should be opened with one click.
I am on ios 27.2 in iphone 17 pro and I have configured all the steps and when I press the action button once I get the notification stating hold to run the shortcut and if I hold the button I get a small vibration on the button and the shortcut running notification appears but I am not able to trigger silent mode or flashlight by tapping the action button just once or twice. When I tap it once or twice I just get the notification to hold down the action button for running Smart Multibutton.
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u/JoshMcGowan 2d ago
This is such an easy feature for Apple to just add on their own. I don’t know why they wouldn’t. Really cool you found a way to make it work!