NuviOpen Settings, tap Action Button and swipe to Voice Memo. From then on, pressing and holding the Action button runs the Voice Memo action. To record with another app, swipe to Shortcut instead and choose that app's recording shortcut. iPhones without an Action button can start a recording from Control Center or the Lock Screen.
The Action button is the fastest physical way to start a recording on an iPhone. It takes about a minute to set up. The steps below are taken from Apple’s own support pages, linked where they are used, so you can check them against your iOS version.
Which iPhones have an Action button?
On supported models, the Action button takes the place of the Ring/Silent switch above the volume buttons. Apple’s page Use and customize the Action button on iPhone links to the list of models. As of October 2026 it reads:
- iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e
- iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air
- iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
If your iPhone still has a small switch on the side, it does not have an Action button. Skip to the section on Control Center and the Lock Screen.
How do you assign the Action button to Voice Memo?
Out of the box, the Action button controls Silent mode. To change it:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Tap Action Button. An image of the side of the iPhone appears with icons for each action.
- Swipe until the name Voice Memo appears below the dots.
- Leave Settings.
Apple describes this action as “Voice Memo: Record personal notes, musical ideas, and more.” To use it, press and hold the Action button. Apple’s wording is “press and hold” throughout, so a quick tap is not enough.
Recordings made this way go to the Voice Memos app. When Voice Memos is turned on in iCloud settings, they also appear on your other devices signed in to the same Apple Account, as Apple explains in Make a recording in Voice Memos on iPhone. The same page notes that an orange dot appears while the microphone is in use.
How do you assign the Action button to a shortcut?
The Voice Memo action only opens Apple’s recorder. To start a recording in a different app, use the Shortcut action. Apple’s Shortcuts guide covers it in Run shortcuts with the Action button:
- Go to Settings and tap Action Button.
- Swipe to Shortcut.
- Tap Choose a Shortcut, then select a shortcut.
Do not skip step 3. Apple’s page is explicit that for the Controls, Shortcut and Accessibility actions you need to select a specific option, “otherwise the Action button does nothing.”
How do apps add their own actions?
You do not have to build the shortcut yourself. Apps can publish ready-made actions through a system feature called App Shortcuts. Apple’s developer documentation on App Shortcuts says they are defined in the app’s code and “are available as soon as someone installs your app”. The same documentation notes that App Shortcuts can run from the Action button on iPhone or Apple Watch.
In practice this means that when you tap Choose a Shortcut, apps that support it show their actions in the list. You pick one and you are done. The same action is then available in other places:
| Where | How to run it | Apple’s instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Action button | Press and hold | Run shortcuts with the Action button |
| Siri | Say the shortcut’s name | Use Siri to run shortcuts with your voice |
| Control Center | Tap a control | Use Control Center to run shortcuts |
| Shortcuts app | Tap it, or combine it with other steps | Shortcuts User Guide |
Voice Memo action or a shortcut: which should you choose?
| Voice Memo action | Shortcut from another app | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | One swipe in Settings | One swipe, then choose the shortcut |
| Where the recording goes | Voice Memos | The app that owns the shortcut |
| What you get afterward | An audio file in Voice Memos | Whatever that app does with it, such as a transcript or summary |
| Extra apps needed | None | The app must be installed |
If all you want is an audio file, the built-in action is the simplest choice and costs nothing. A shortcut makes sense when you want the recording to land somewhere that does more with it. The differences between a plain recorder and a note taker are laid out in Nuvi vs Apple Voice Memos.
How does this work with Nuvi?
Nuvi, the AI note taker for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, offers one shortcut for this purpose, named “Start or Stop Recording”. It works with the Action button, with Siri and in the Shortcuts app. Nuvi also has a Control Center control, Lock Screen widgets and a Record widget for the Home Screen.
With the shortcut assigned, one press and hold starts a recording, and the same shortcut stops it. Recording continues with the screen locked, and a Live Activity shows while it runs. A recording can be up to one hour. Afterward Nuvi returns a transcript split by speaker and a summary with key points, decisions and action items. More detail is on the features page, and voice memos covers quick single-voice notes.
Some limits to know before you plan around it. Get Nuvi. Transcription needs an internet connection, although the recording itself is saved on the device and sent when the connection returns. It does not record phone calls, there is no Android or web version, and the app’s interface is in English.
What if your iPhone has no Action button?
You still have quick routes that do not involve finding an app icon.
Control Center
Open Control Center, start editing the controls, then tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen to open the controls gallery. Apple’s steps are in Use and customize Control Center on iPhone. The gallery includes controls from Apple’s apps and from other apps that offer one. After that, a recording is one swipe and one tap away.
Lock Screen
The controls on the Lock Screen can be changed. In Create a custom iPhone Lock Screen, Apple lists this as “Swap the controls (like the flashlight)”: touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, then tap one of the controls and replace it. Lock Screen widgets are added from the same screen.
Siri
Any shortcut can be run by saying its name to Siri. This is useful when your hands are full, for example while driving or cooking.
Apple Watch
If you wear a watch, you can start a recording from your wrist. On Apple Watch Ultra models, the watch has its own Action button, and Apple lists Voice Memo among its functions in Use the Action button on Apple Watch Ultra models. There is more in using Apple Watch as a voice recorder.
Things that go wrong
- Nothing happens when you press. You are probably tapping. Press and hold.
- Still nothing. You chose Shortcut but never picked one. Go back to Settings, Action Button, and tap Choose a Shortcut.
- You lost the mute switch. The Action button holds one action at a time, and Silent mode is its default. Apple’s page Silence iPhone covers the other ways to turn Silent mode on and off.
- The recording is faint. A phone in a pocket or bag records the fabric, not the room. Put it on the table with nothing covering it.
Tell people before you record
A hardware button makes it easy to start recording without anyone noticing. That does not make it acceptable. Recording other people may require their consent depending on where you are. Tell people before you record them. For the general legal picture, see is it legal to record a meeting. It is general information, not legal advice.
