Most people press the volume buttons on their phone only when music, videos, or calls are too loud or too quiet. But those little buttons can do far more than adjust sound, and several of their most useful functions are easy to overlook. Depending on your phone and settings, they can become shortcuts that save you from repeatedly tapping the screen.

One of the best-known tricks is using a volume button as a camera shutter. Open the camera and press either volume button to take a picture, which can make selfies and one-handed photos much easier. On many phones, holding the button can also trigger burst photography or begin recording video, depending on how the camera controls are configured.

The buttons can also help with screenshots and emergency features. Many smartphones capture a screenshot when the power and volume-down buttons are pressed together. Certain models also use combinations of the power and volume buttons to access emergency SOS features, shutdown menus, recovery options, or other important controls.

There are several smaller tricks too. Volume buttons can silence an incoming call without rejecting it, quickly stop or reduce alarm sounds, control media volume without opening an app, and sometimes navigate accessibility features. Some Android phones even allow additional button actions through built-in settings or manufacturer-specific shortcuts.

That gives us 10 useful possibilities: adjusting media volume, taking photos, recording video, shooting bursts, capturing screenshots, silencing calls, controlling alarms, activating accessibility shortcuts, accessing emergency functions, and using special power-button combinations. Not every trick works identically on every iPhone or Android device, but those two simple buttons are capable of much more than changing how loud your phone sounds.