Use the Action button on Apple Watch Ultra

Learn how to customize and use the Action button, which gives you quick access to some of your favorite Apple Watch Ultra features.

How to set up the Action button on your Apple Watch Ultra

  1. Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch. You can also do this in the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Action Button.
    Apple Watch Ultra showing the Settings app
  3. Tap the menu under Action, then select what you want the button to launch.
    Apple Watch Ultra showing the Action screen and various settings
  4. Tap the arrow in the top-left corner  to go back to Action Button settings.
  5. Tap the menu under App if it appears, then select an app to perform the action. Some actions, such as Flashlight, don't show the App option.
  6. Tap the arrow to go back.
  7. Tap the menu under First Press if it appears, then select an action. Some features allow different actions to happen on the first and second press of the button.

Tips appear on the screen under Gestures explaining how the Action button works with the settings that you've assigned to it. For example, tips for an outdoor walk show you that pressing the Action button once starts a workout, and pressing the Action button and the side button at the same time pauses the workout.

Be sure to avoid pressing the side button or the Digital Crown accidentally when you press the Action button. Your Apple Watch will do whatever is assigned to the Action button if you happen to press another button at the same time, unless a button combination is configured.

What can the Action button do?

You can configure actions related to these apps and features:

  • Workout
  • Stopwatch
  • Waypoint
  • Backtrack
  • Dive
  • Flashlight
  • Shortcut

Use the Action button to activate Siren

Press and hold the Action button to activate Siren, a safety feature on Apple Watch Ultra models. If you don't want the Action button to turn on Siren, go to Settings > Action Button, look under Siren, and turn off Hold to Turn On.

Learn more about using Siren on your Apple Watch Ultra.

Published Date: