Use the iPhone Action Button as a tally counter

How to do it

1. Choose a predictable target

   Create a counter such as Boxes packed. Set Count Up and a step of 1, and note its current value.

2. Assign a counting action

   In Settings, open Action Button. If Controls is available, choose KeepCount’s Add to Counter and configure the counter. Alternatively choose Shortcut and select a saved Shortcut that runs KeepCount’s Add to Counter for that target.

3. Test before relying on the button

   Press and hold the Action Button to run its configured action. Open KeepCount and confirm the intended counter changed once by the expected amount.

Make a one-action Shortcut

In Shortcuts, create a shortcut with KeepCount’s Add to Counter action. Select the target counter explicitly instead of leaving a picker to ask every time. Save it with a recognizable name and test it from Shortcuts before assigning it.

Leave Amount unset if you want the saved counter step, or specify an amount deliberately. Count Down targets decrease for the Add to Counter action, matching their normal numerical behavior.

A physical button still needs a check

After setup, perform a small test of three presses and verify the result. If the target was renamed, replaced, or made inaccessible after Pro ended, revisit the configuration.

Do not assume every press during an interrupted system workflow succeeded. For a consequential tally, periodically compare the visible total with your own record. KeepCount does not count events automatically.

Reset deliberately

Use Reset in the app or a separate saved Reset Counter Shortcut between sessions. Reset returns to the starting value, so a remaining-stock counter may restart above zero.

Keep reset separate from your normal counting button to reduce accidental session resets. If you do not have an Action Button, a Home Screen widget or Control Center control offers another route.

Common questions