Apple Watch Ultra's Action Button got a secret watchOS 11 upgrade Apple didn't even mention

An Apple Watch Ultra on a wrist showing an orange interface

(Image credit: Future)

Apple has this week released watchOS 11 to the public, and it comes with a secret Action Button upgrade for Ultra users we weren't expecting.

Available now on all the best Apple Watch models (as far back as the Series 6), watchOS 11 is a health and fitness-heavy release with a new Vitals app, sleep apnea detection, training load tracking, and rest days in the Activity App.

As is often the case, however, the public release of new Apple software normally heralds new features we weren't told about at WWDC 2024, and this year is no different. As revealed by Apple designer Taylor Carrigan, you can now change the functionality of your Apple Watch Ultra' Action Button on the fly in watchOS 11.

Now, if you press and hold the Action Button, you can use the Digital Crown to scroll through 11 different functions: Workout, Stopwatch, Waypoint, Backtrack, Dive, Torch, Shortcut, Voice Memo, Translate, Accessibility, or Recognize Music (Shazam).

Action Button: now even more useful

With watchOS 11, you can now press and hold the Action Button on Apple Watch Ultra to quickly switch actions using your finger or the Digital Crown. Had a lot of fun working on this with @edchao. pic.twitter.com/S4M7dqPiowSeptember 16, 2024

As a serial Apple Watch Ultra 2 user, I'm absolutely delighted by this upgrade. The Action Button is one of the coolest distinguishing features of Apple's more rugged smartwatch line, but its single-use functionality means I tend to forget all about its various capabilities.

I've set mine to start tracking a strength workout, which means I use it once a day – at the top of the stairs of my local gym.

With these new on-the-fly changes in watchOS 11, you could feasibly go through your day adjusting your Action Button's functionality as you go. At the very least, however, it's going to significantly increase engagement with the Action Button now that its functionality isn't buried in the Settings app on your wrist.

Apple watchOS 11 is available now to download on the Apple Watch Series 6 or later, the Apple Watch SE 2, and the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2.

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.

See more Health & Fitness News