Set up the Action Button for Spokn

On iPhone 15 Pro and newer, you can start and stop Spokn with a single press of the Action Button — the small button just above the volume buttons. The whole setup takes about a minute.

Before you start

• You need an iPhone with an Action Button — that's iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and every iPhone 16 (and later) model, including the 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and 16e. Apple keeps a current list here.
• Spokn needs microphone permission to record audio. If you skipped the prompt during onboarding, you can turn it on later in iPhone Settings → Spokn → Microphone.

Step-by-step

1. Install Spokn and open it once. iOS picks up Spokn's shortcut automatically — no manual install needed. To confirm it's there: open the Shortcuts app, tap App Shortcuts at the top, and look for the Spokn section with an entry called Spokn — Start Dictation.
2. Open iPhone Settings → Action Button.
3. Swipe to the Shortcut mode. Move through the row of modes (Silent, Focus, Camera, Flashlight, etc.) until you reach Shortcut.
4. Pick the Spokn shortcut. Tap Choose a Shortcut, then select Spokn — Start Dictation. You can search for "Spokn" if it's not visible right away.
5. Leave Settings. The choice is saved automatically.
6. Press the Action Button to use it. One press starts a dictation session; press again to stop, and the transcript lands on your clipboard. The first time, tap Always Allow if iOS asks for confirmation.

Troubleshooting: Action Button opens Spokn but doesn't record

If pressing the button brings up Spokn but no recording starts, run through these checks in order:

1. Microphone permission. Open iPhone Settings → Spokn → Microphone and make sure it's on. Without this, Spokn can launch but cannot capture audio.
2. Right shortcut selected. Open iPhone Settings → Action Button → Shortcut and confirm it shows Spokn — Start Dictation and not a different shortcut.
3. "Always Allow" the shortcut. If iOS is still showing a confirmation prompt each time, tap Always Allow when it appears so the shortcut runs without interruption.
4. Open Spokn once, manually. If you've just installed Spokn or recently updated it, launching the app once helps iOS finish registering the shortcut.
5. Restart the phone. Rare, but iOS occasionally loses track of an Action Button binding. A reboot reliably fixes that.
6. Re-pick the shortcut. In Settings → Action Button, switch to a different mode, then back to Shortcut and re-select Spokn — Start Dictation.

Still stuck? Email spoknlabs@gmail.com with your iPhone model, iOS version, and Spokn version (visible in Spokn → Settings). It makes the fix much faster.