I gave my Galaxy S26 Ultra extra buttons, and it's surprisingly useful

by · Android Police

When Apple added an extra button to the iPhone with the iPhone 16 series last year, I was worried that more brands would start copying it.

And that eventually happened, with many Chinese flagships, like the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and Honor Magic 8 Pro, now offering a dedicated camera shutter button.

Thankfully, Samsung didn't go down that route. While the company has borrowed a lot from Apple over the years — for example, launching the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge to compete with the iPhone Air and moving to a titanium build on flagship phones — the Galaxy S26 Ultra still sticks to the basics when it comes to buttons.

You get the usual side button and volume rockers on the right, and that hasn't really been an issue for me.

Still, I see the appeal of having extra buttons. Phones like the OnePlus 15 let you remap a side key, and I like using it for things like switching between alert and vibrate.

Samsung doesn't offer anything like that out of the box, though.

So when Pitaka reached out about its new case that adds not one, not two, but three customizable physical buttons to the left side of the Galaxy S26 lineup, I was genuinely intrigued.

I've been using the Pitaka Aaron Button case on my Galaxy S26 Ultra for about a month now, and those programmable buttons have turned out to be more useful than I expected.

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This case adds three extra buttons to the Galaxy S26 Ultra

You can customize each one to launch apps or quick actions

Pitaka has been making cases for Samsung Galaxy phones for years, and I've always found them to be some of the best cases you can buy for the Galaxy S26 series.

It's not just about the extra buttons, but the case itself feels premium. It's made from aramid fiber, feels rigid and lightweight at the same time, and offers solid drop protection without adding bulk.

It also has a built-in magnetic ring on the back, which makes it compatible with MagSafe-style accessories, something the phone itself doesn't natively support.

That said, the highlight this year is the addition of three customizable buttons on the left side. This is something you don't usually see in cases.

Pitaka calls these Aaron buttons, and they essentially work using NFC. Each button acts like a trigger that can be mapped to a specific action through the companion app.

The setup is pretty straightforward. After you put the case on your Galaxy S26 Ultra, you install the Aaron Button app from the Google Play Store. You can sign in with an email ID, but the app also lets you continue without signing in, which I appreciate.

When you're inside the app, you're taken to a home page where you can assign shortcuts to the buttons on the side of the case.

You can map a button press to open an app, turn on the flashlight, enable auto-rotate, start one-tap navigation to your home, or trigger other actions.

I use the first button to switch between general and vibration mode, the second to open Gemini, and the third to turn on the flashlight.

There are plenty of options to choose from, and if you miss the Pixel's Now Playing feature, you can set a button to recognize music playing around you.

For the most part, this feature works really well on my Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The only downside I've found is that the button actions aren't customizable enough. You can assign one shortcut per button, but you can't set different actions for single press, double press, and long press. That would have made the whole setup much more useful.

This Galaxy S26 case does more than most accessories out there

It feels premium, adds magnets, and brings surprisingly useful features

Pitaka sells two versions of this case.

The first is the Edge variant, which is designed for those who want a slimmer case while still adding the buttons and MagSafe-style functionality. It retails for $60 on Amazon and comes in nine unique styles.

This is the one I prefer because it doesn't add much weight or bulk to the phone, although the buttons aren't the clickiest.

The second variant is called Carin. This one is more rugged and adds extra heft to the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it also brings better protection.

It costs slightly more, but if you want stronger protection, including military-grade drop protection, this is the one to consider. The buttons also feel better and more satisfying to press compared to the slimmer Edge version.

A case that quietly fixes Samsung's lack of extra buttons

Overall, I really wish Samsung sold a case like this officially. I like that Samsung hasn't added extra physical buttons to the Galaxy S26 series itself, but using this case made me realize there are smarter ways to add more controls without changing the phone's hardware.

That said, the smarter move for most users might still be tweaking a few Galaxy S26 Ultra settings as soon as they get the phone.

  • Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

    $1100 $1300 Save $200
    SoC
    Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
    RAM
    12GB / 16GB
    Storage
    256GB / 512GB / 1TB
    Battery
    5,000mAh
    Operating System
    Android 16 / OneUI 8.5

    The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a world-first new feature called the Privacy Display, which hides the phone screen from prying eyes. The phone is lighter, thinner, and more powerful than its predecessor.

    $1100 at Samsung $1100 at Best Buy $1100 at Amazon
    Expand Collapse

  • Pitaka Aaron Button case for Galaxy S26 Ultra

    $51 $60 Save $9

    Pitaka's Aaron Button case makes the Galaxy S26 Ultra feel more functional for everyday use. The case adds three programmable side buttons that can trigger shortcuts, apps, or routines. It also maintains a slim profile, remains lightweight, and stays compatible with magnetic accessories.

    $51 at Amazon $59 at Pitaka
    Expand Collapse