Apple’s new patentfuture iPhones can have more than one action button revealed. By making the three buttons on the left user-configurable, iPhones can further personalize the user experience.

The patent applies not only to iPhones, but also to iPhones iPad and Mac devices It shows that similar functions will occur for . With this newly revealed patent, it appears that the keys will be supported by haptic motors that will provide tactile feedback.

Apple’s new patent allows keys to be customized with different functions

In the patent document The renders show an iPhone with the Action key and two volume buttons on the left side. The interface seems to allow different functions to be assigned to each key. For example, the Volume Down key can be user-configured to call a favorite contact.

Apple states that this patent may not only apply to iPhones, but also to other devices such as iPads and Macs. The document covers iPhone and iPad, as well as laptops with touchpads. There’s a caveat, though: Apple also includes trackpads and capacitive keys in the touch surface category.

While Apple doesn’t implement every innovation it patents, the action button is and camera control key Given previous innovations, it seems likely that this feature will be included in future devices.