Enhancing Smart Home Design with the iPhone 15 Pro's Action Button
What is the Action Button?
The Action Button is the game-changing feature of the iPhone 15 Pro, with respect to smart home design. The button sits just above the volume controls on the side of the phone, in place of the previous mute switch; and with a little bit of programming, can be configured to do almost anything. Apple continues to dip their toes further into the world of smart home integration with their own Apple Home platform, their involvement in the Connectivity Standards Alliance developing the Matter protocol, and with their continued development of personal automations and shortcuts on their iPhone and iMac platforms. It is these shortcuts that can be triggered by the Action Button to tell the automated home controller to run an event on one or more connected systems.
But I Already Have Control of my Smart Home from the App...
Smart home technology has come a long way, allowing homeowners to control various aspects of their homes by simply unlocking their phone, opening the control app, navigating to the necessary room or service page, and tapping the button. For some functions though, this isn't quite quick enough. The aim should always be to automate events in the home as much as is humanly predictable; Unfortunately, there are certain functions that we use frequently, but at inconsistent times.
An example of this could be something as simple as turning music on in the ensuite. Not too many people will have a shower at exactly the same time every day, so it typically doesn't make sense to automate the speakers to come on at a specific time.
The Action Button provides the added level of control we need for this type of function, giving you control over the exact start time, but with the added convenience of not needing to navigate your control system's user interface, or even take your phone out of your pocket. This is the beauty of tactile buttons. Furthermore, we achieve personalised levels of control with the Action Button. With two phones (two actions buttons) we can now trigger different music playlists for different people.
Sounds Like a Lot of Effort for One Function…
While the button can only be set up to send one trigger, your smart home control system can add additional variables to provide different functions. Using the ensuite example provided previously; while you probably don't shower at exactly the same time every day, we can assume that you will on most days between certain hours. For the sake of the example let's assume between 5AM and 8AM. Perfect, that means outside of those times we can make the trigger do something completely different, simply by having the control system check the time when it receives the command.
Imagine being able to reach into your pocket and press that same single button in the evening when the family sits down for dinner; and having the lights dim to the perfect level in the dining room. You could have the TV turn off, or on depending on your preference, and close your motorised blinds for added privacy. Perhaps after a certain time at night you want the button to turn everything off and set the AC to a lower temperature in your bedroom for optimal sleep quality.
The possibilities are endless when pairing the Action Button with a smart home control system. It can incorporate variables from devices such as sensors, security systems, lighting, security cameras, smart thermostats, and other integrated smart devices; all it takes is a competent programmer, and a creative smart home designer that is willing to spend the time with you to detail the ins and outs of how your system can function in a way that is tailored to the way you live. Action Button functions can also be be changed, and added to at any point in time, so as your needs and preferences change, your smart home can change along with them.