How to program an iPhone Action Button

To program the Action Button on your iPhone 16 to launch Google Authenticator, use Apple's Shortcuts app, since the Action Button doesn't support directly opening third-party apps like Google Authenticator natively (only built-in Apple apps like Camera).

Here's the step-by-step guide (works on iOS 18 and later, including current versions as of December 2025):

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone (it's pre-installed; search for it if needed).
2. Tap the + button in the top right to create a new shortcut.
3. Tap Add Action (or search for it).
4. In the search bar, type "Open App" and select the Open App action.
5. Tap the blue App word (or "Choose") and search for/select Google Authenticator from your installed apps.
6. (Optional) Tap the shortcut name at the top to rename it something like "Open Authenticator" for easy identification.
7. Tap Done to save the shortcut.

Now assign it to the Action Button:

1. Go to Settings > Action Button.
2. Swipe horizontally until you reach the Shortcut option.
3. Tap the button below (it might say "Choose a Shortcut").
4. Select your new shortcut ("Open Authenticator" or whatever you named it) from the list.

That's it! Press and hold the Action Button to instantly launch Google Authenticator.