From Engadget · Roger Fingas · · 1m 50s
What the Apple Watch Ultra 4 action button can do
The orange button on Apple's rugged watch is a customizable shortcut to dozens of commands, from navigation to smart home control.
In brief
The orange button on Apple's rugged watch is a customizable shortcut to dozens of commands, from navigation to smart home control. The Apple Watch Ultra 4's action button offers quick access to dozens of functions, from fitness tracking to smart home automation, making it a powerful tool for daily use. Originally…
The Ultra 4 and its orange button
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 costs eight hundred dollars and lasts up to fifty hours on a charge.
Quick Switch lets you change functions on the fly
Hold the action button briefly to see the Quick Switch menu, which lets you swap the button's single-tap function without going into settings.This is vital for outdoor navigation and activities that change throughout your day.
Simple one-tap functions
Flashlight, Voice Memo, Translate and Recognize Music are the most straightforward options.Press once to start, press again to stop.Recognize Music should be nearly instant on an Ultra 4 thanks to Apple's new Audio Intelligence capabilities.
Workout, Stopwatch and Dive controls
Workout opens the app or launches a specific activity.Stopwatch starts timing on one press and marks a lap on the next.Dive begins aquatic adventures.Press action and side buttons together to pause or access secondary functions.
Navigation with Waypoint and Backtrack
Waypoint drops markers visible in the Compass app and Waypoint watchface, including automatic ones like your parked car.Backtrack records a precise route you can retrace later.
Accessibility and Shortcuts unlock unlimited potential
Assigning the button to Accessibility lets you trigger AssistiveTouch, VoiceOver and control nearby devices. Shortcut is more powerful, triggering any automation built in the iPhone's Shortcuts app, from turning on lights to starting your HomePod.
iOS 27 makes building shortcuts simpler
iOS 27 on iPhones with Apple Intelligence lets you build shortcuts by describing what you want them to do.
The key point
The Apple Watch Ultra 4's action button offers quick access to dozens of functions, from fitness tracking to smart home automation, making it a powerful tool for daily use.
