iPhone 16 Pro Action Button not working and menu missing in Settings after update

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4. Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary software glitches. Turn off your iPhone, wait for a few seconds, and then turn it back on.
   1. Restart the device. That's it.
   2. Still not solved --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support
5. If you're using a VPN, disable it and check if the error goes away. Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management and turn off any active VPNs. Disabling a VPN only from the iPhone settings may not completely turn it off. To fully disable it, you need to switch it off from the VPN service provider’s app or remove the configuration profile they installed. Only then is the VPN truly off, which can help if it’s causing issues with cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
6. Reset Network Settings: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings: Only network settings are removed.
   1. When you reset network settings, previously used networks and VPN settings that weren’t installed by a configuration profile or mobile device management (MDM) are removed. Wi-Fi is turned off and then back on, disconnecting you from any network you’re on. The Wi-Fi and Ask to Join Networks settings remain turned on.
   2. To remove VPN settings installed by a configuration profile, go to Settings > General > Profiles & Device Management, select the configuration profile, then tap Remove Profile. This also removes other settings and accounts provided by the profile. See Install or remove configuration profiles on iPhone in this guide.
   3. To remove network settings installed by MDM, go to Settings > General > Profiles & Device Management, select the management, then tap Remove Management. This also removes other settings and certificates provided by MDM. See “Mobile device management (MDM)” in the iOS Deployment Reference.
   4. Reset your Network Settings. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This also resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you've used before.
   5. 
7. If the issue persists, you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone. This will not erase your data but will reset all personalized settings to their default values. Go to Settings > General > Transfer & Reset > Reset > Reset All Settings and confirm the action. Note that you will need to reconfigure your settings afterward. All settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, the Home screen layout, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults. No data or media are deleted.
   1. Reset All Settings: Return iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support:- Return iPhone settings to their defaults
   2. You can return settings to their defaults without erasing your content.
   3. If you want to save your settings, back up your iPhone before returning them to their defaults. For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem but returning settings to their defaults doesn’t help, you might want to restore your previous settings from a backup.
   4. 
8. Make sure you have the latest updates installed.
   1. Update Over-the-Air (OTA) —> Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support (IN)
   2. Update using iTunes/Finder —> Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (IN)

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it is recommended to reach out to Apple Support or visit an authorized service center for further assistance. They can provide specific guidance based on your device model and iOS version.

I’ve been experiencing the same exact issue for the past several days. I click “Action Button” in Settings and it goes right back to the home screen. I’ve tried every recommended troubleshooting option, and I mean everything and nothing works. (hard reset, restart, power off, all settings reset, upgraded to iOS 27.2 last night, and foolishly several other things I don’t want to get into here)

I think the issue started when I created an Action Menu folder in Shortcuts, put a few shortcuts into it, assigned the folder to the Action Button it, and then went back in to remove one of the shortcuts that didn’t work properly. After that point, the Action Button itself stopped working as well as the Settings > Action Button. Not sure it will ever work again because I had restored the previous version of the OS and updated to the current version. Nothing changed, except that the Action Button reverted to the default silent mode switch, which is better than a dead button.

I hope somebody figures it out and reports it here, as mentioned I’ve tried virtually every trick in the book and got nothing. Thanks.

Total BS. This issue ONLY appeared after 27.2.

all the other tips are a giant waste of time. Only Apple can fix this in 27.2.1

QED mix drop. Please don’t insult our intelligence with anything else, this is a BUG

alexonline wrote:

Total BS. This issue ONLY appeared after 27.2.

all the other tips are a giant waste of time. Only Apple can fix this in 27.2.1

QED mix drop. Please don’t insult our intelligence with anything else, this is a BUG

Hi, the first poster made his comments before iOS 27.2 was even released. It may have only appeared after 27.2 for you, but there are several other earlier posts on this as well.

Did you want to troubleshoot the issue? If not, please provide feedback to Apple Support so they can look into the issue.

Apple and Apple Support do not participate in the communities here. They only moderate our posts to insure all user guidelines are followed in regard to content and user behavior. Your comments will not be reviewed by Apple. Everyone posting and commenting are fellow Apple users like yourself.

Product Feedback - Apple

Apple typically does not formally reply to bug reports. 

Line-judge wrote:

Since I updated my iPhone pro16 with the latest version, the action button stopped working and the action button menu is gone in settings.

Not every issue an individual encounters on their device can be attributed to an iOS update. iOS 27 or later may have coincided with what you are experiencing, but that does not mean the issue was triggered by iOS. Coincidence in timing is not, by itself, evidence of causation.

If the update itself were the root cause, then every device running that same version of iOS would exhibit the identical problem. In such a scenario, the forums would be flooded with countless posts reporting the same malfunction, creating an unmistakable wave of complaints that no one could possibly overlook.

The absence of such widespread reports strongly indicates that the issue is not a general, system-wide problem with iOS 27 or later, but rather something specific to the individual device, its configuration, installed apps, settings, hardware, or another interacting factor.

In short: iOS 27 or later may be a coincidence in timing, but there is no basis to conclude that iOS itself triggered the problem simply because the issue appeared after the update.

See what each update does: About iOS 27 Updates, About iOS 26 Updates, About iOS 18 Updates, About iOS 17 Updates, About iOS 16 Updates, About iOS 15 Updates, About iOS 14 Updates, About iOS 13 Updates, About iOS 12 Updates, and so on...

My husband and I both updated our phones last night and today both our action button stopped working the only time I can get it to work is when I turn my phone off and on and then it only works for about 5 min.

iOS 27.2.0 was released yesterday. Try updating to the latest version. Good luck.

What do you have your Action button set to do?