Action button mute is missing on my iPhone 16 Pro Max after iOS 26 update

Settings->Action Button->swipe to Silent Mode and tap. Silent Mode is just one of a whole list of actions you can assign to the Action Button. It has not been removed, but was just reset from Silent Mode.

Use and customize the Action button on iPhone - Apple Support

So I have restored my iPhone via recovery mode, then restored from an iCloud backup and the issue is still present.

This means we either wait for Apple to apply a fix in an update, or restore the phone and not restore from backup, instead relying on iCloud sync to bring back content, but all settings will be lost and apps will need to be redownloaded.

AlexWhitez wrote:

Solved!!!! With IOS 26.1 NICE!!

FYI that's iOS 26.0.1

Had the exact same issue. You have to reset all your settings to get the “silent mode” option back but rest of the options will still be unavailable. Seems to be a bug.

I have the same issue. The majority of the options are missing for the action button and the silent mode setting is also missing from the shortcuts app. I have checked demo phones in a store on iOS26 and can confirm everything is there for the action button on those phones.

I assume this is a bug for some upgrades from iOS 18 to 26. Anyone game to restore their phone to see if that fixes it?

I am having the same issue. 16 Pro Max. I only have a few choices in the action button. Voice Memo, Translate, Magnifier, Controls, Shortcut or No Action. My action button was previously set to Flashlight before the update and after ios26 it didn’t work so I went to the settings to see what was up.

in addition to this problem, I can’t open the Camera from the lock screen icon. I press the icon and it “haptics” but it stays on the lock screen, nothing happens. The camera doesn’t open. The flashlight works from the lock screen tho! I can open the camera if I swipe left on the lock screen.

annoying bugs!

I chatted with Apple support yesterday as my Warranty for the phone expires today and they told me Apple is aware of these glitches and are working on a patch.

[Edited by Moderator]

Solved!!!! With IOS 26.1 NICE!!

I fixed this by erasing and not restoring from back up

Try to Force Restart the iPhone and check again. Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

iPhon3islove wrote:

I Hope Apple fixes this fast. The bug has ironically removed the very function it was meant to perform. I only use it for silent mode as it’s very convenient to enter meetings with this features, especially when it hits you in between an important meeting that your phone is on ring and needs to be on silent. Please Apple, please fix this.

Apple is not here in these user-to-user forums. No one here works for Apple so you need to submit feedback to Apple to get their attention.

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

funchrist wrote:

On iOS 26?

Yes, and it’s fine on my iPhone 16 Pro and iOS 26 as well. The majority of users are not seeing this issue with iOS 26. This why I recommended contacting Apple Support and opening a ticket.

vovaggri wrote:

Doesn’t work. I also tried to reset all settings, also without any results.

Then you have a real problem. Please contact Apple Support to open a ticket. We here are not Apple employees or Apple contractors. We are fellow users like yourself trying to help one another as best we can. If you followed the instructions in the link provided then you have an installation issue that we cannot offer any more advice on.

lkrupp wrote:

dantol86 wrote:

Yea, but then we lose years of pictures / all our settings?!

The answer is no, you don’t lose your data IF you are making regular scheduled backups to iCloud. All your apps, pictures, settings will be restored from those backups.

Back up iPhone - Apple Support

my reply was in quote to another post where they said they fixed it by “not restoring from backup”. If you don’t restore from backup, then everything is lost.

Silent option is not available after updating to ios26