Set up the Action Button
Start recording with a single press, before Amber is even open.
If your iPhone has an Action Button (or you'd rather use a Siri shortcut), you can wire it to Amber so a single press starts recording — no need to unlock, find the app, and tap record while an idea is slipping away.
Setting it up
- Open Settings → Action Button on your iPhone.
- Scroll to the Amber option and select it.
- Press the Action Button anywhere, any time.
The first press opens Amber and immediately begins recording, using the same pre-roll capture as tapping record inside the app — so a slightly late press still doesn't cost you the first couple of seconds.
If you don't see Amber listed as an Action Button option yet, Amber also ships as a Siri Shortcut, so you can trigger it by voice or add it to the Shortcuts app instead.
Why the app has to open
Recording needs a live, foreground audio session for the pre-roll buffer to work, so pressing the Action Button briefly brings Amber to the foreground rather than recording silently in the background. It's a one-glance interruption, not a multi-step one — you're recording before you've had time to look at the screen.
Was this helpful?
Your feedback shapes what we write next.