Customizable Action Button From Apple Watch Ultra
What it does and what it can do
Alongside the new iPhone 14 series, we’ve seen the introduction of a trio of new Apple Watches. Specifically, the Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE 2 were revealed to the world. But what managed to grab quite a bit of attention was the Apple Watch Ultra — a brand new Apple Watch aimed at the most demanding of Apple fans who regularly take on adrenaline sports.
After all, that’s why the watch has solid durability, better battery life, better systems and a host of other benefits. At the same time, the new Apple Watch Ultra has a small novelty at first glance. We are talking about the so-called customizable action button. Practically, it’s just another button that can be used to make it easier to control the watch itself.
However, although it is a minor detail, the opposite is true — the possibilities of the customizable button go a little further. So in this article, we’ll look at its capabilities and what it can be used for.
The customisable action button and its uses
The button in question is located on the left side of the display, right between the speaker and the alarm siren. The button is pill-shaped and orange in colour to distinguish it from the body itself. The button can be used very quickly to activate the aforementioned alarm siren and, therefore, in cases where the apple picker gets into trouble.
Pressing and holding it activates the 86dB siren, which can be heard up to 180 metres away. Its purpose is to attract help in an emergency.
But it doesn’t stop there. The button’s capabilities can be taken a few levels further, and you can directly choose what it is used for. As the name of the new element suggests, the button is completely customizable and can be used for several operations. Users can set it up during the first launch of their new Apple Watch or customize it later via Settings, where there’s a list of supported apps.
As Apple itself directly states, the button can be configured, for example, to start backtracking — a feature that uses GPS data to create paths so that you can return to the original point if necessary.
However, the button can also occupy so-called system functions and serve, for example, to turn on the flashlight, mark a point within the compass, and turn on the stopwatch, among others. At the same time, when the action button is pressed in combination with the side button, the current function is paused on the watch.
Assigning shortcuts
The customizable action button can take advantage of the new App Intents API that Apple introduced during the WWDC 2022 developer conference in June. This allows it to activate pre-made shortcuts, which brings it huge potential in control. Coincidentally, shortcuts can also be used to control a smart home. Moreover, by assigning one shortcut, we can get multiple outputs.
For example, a shortcut can be based on the current location or time/date, allowing the action button to be interested in different functions within a single day. As mentioned above, support for shortcuts brings huge potential.
That’s why it will be interesting to see how the Apple developers approach this possibility and what they come up with. There are some interesting things to come in this regard.
More options when pressed again
Depending on what app or function the action button will control, users of the new Apple Watch Ultra will also have the opportunity to access some additional features. In this case, pressing the button a few times in succession will be enough to unlock additional options and take the ease of use a few levels further.
Apple’s use case is fairly simple — Apple users will use the action button often when they’re not looking at the display itself. Given this, the ability to press it again makes sense. A great example can be seen when watching a triathlon (activity). The first press turns on triathlon tracking, while each subsequent press can change the tracked activity.
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