Apple in the third beta of iOS 17.1 tweaked the functionality of the Action Button to prevent certain actions from being triggered while the iPhone is in a pocket or a bag. The Camera, Flashlight, Voice Memo, Focus, and Magnifier functions will no longer activate when the Action Button is pressed if the ‌iPhone‌ is tucked away in a pocket.

Actions that make sense to trigger in a pocket like the mute function and a shortcut can still be activated while the ‌iPhone‌ is inside of a pocket by long pressing on the Action Button, but other features are disabled.

In earlier versions of iOS 17 and iOS 17.1, all of the Action Button functions can be accidentally activated in a pocket, draining ‌iPhone‌ battery and causing unwanted recordings and images.

Though the Action Button requires a long press to activate, there have still been complaints about it triggering unintentionally while in a pocket, which this change will prevent for functions that cannot be used when the ‌iPhone‌ is in a pocket.

Note that these changes apply only to the Action Button, so it is still possible to accidentally trigger the Camera or the Flashlight from the Lock Screen while the ‌iPhone‌ is in a pocket.

Source: Macrumors