diff --git a/esphome/components/max6956/__init__.py b/esphome/components/max6956/__init__.py
index 5e45d71899..557f497e1a 100644
--- a/esphome/components/max6956/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/max6956/__init__.py
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ from esphome.const import (
     CONF_OUTPUT,
     CONF_PULLUP,
 )
-from esphome.core import ID
-from esphome.cpp_generator import MockObj, TemplateArgsType
+from esphome.cpp_generator import MockObj
 from esphome.types import ConfigType
 
 CODEOWNERS = ["@looping40"]
@@ -29,10 +28,6 @@ max6956_ns = cg.esphome_ns.namespace("max6956")
 MAX6956 = max6956_ns.class_("MAX6956", cg.Component, i2c.I2CDevice)
 MAX6956GPIOPin = max6956_ns.class_("MAX6956GPIOPin", cg.GPIOPin)
 
-# Actions
-SetCurrentGlobalAction = max6956_ns.class_("SetCurrentGlobalAction", automation.Action)
-SetCurrentModeAction = max6956_ns.class_("SetCurrentModeAction", automation.Action)
-
 MAX6956_CURRENTMODE = max6956_ns.enum("MAX6956CURRENTMODE")
 CURRENT_MODES = {
     "global": MAX6956_CURRENTMODE.GLOBAL,
@@ -103,9 +98,8 @@ async def max6956_pin_to_code(config: ConfigType) -> MockObj:
     return var
 
 
-@automation.register_action(
+automation.register_apply_action(
     "max6956.set_brightness_global",
-    SetCurrentGlobalAction,
     cv.maybe_simple_value(
         {
             cv.GenerateID(CONF_ID): cv.use_id(MAX6956),
@@ -115,24 +109,12 @@ async def max6956_pin_to_code(config: ConfigType) -> MockObj:
         },
         key=CONF_BRIGHTNESS_GLOBAL,
     ),
-    synchronous=True,
+    automation.ApplyField(CONF_BRIGHTNESS_GLOBAL, "set_brightness_global", cg.uint8),
+    automation.ApplyCall("write_brightness_global()"),
 )
-async def max6956_set_brightness_global_to_code(
-    config: ConfigType,
-    action_id: ID,
-    template_arg: cg.TemplateArguments,
-    args: TemplateArgsType,
-) -> MockObj:
-    paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, paren)
-    template_ = await cg.templatable(config[CONF_BRIGHTNESS_GLOBAL], args, cg.uint8)
-    cg.add(var.set_brightness_global(template_))
-    return var
 
-
-@automation.register_action(
+automation.register_apply_action(
     "max6956.set_brightness_mode",
-    SetCurrentModeAction,
     cv.maybe_simple_value(
         {
             cv.Required(CONF_ID): cv.use_id(MAX6956),
@@ -142,18 +124,8 @@ async def max6956_set_brightness_global_to_code(
         },
         key=CONF_BRIGHTNESS_MODE,
     ),
-    synchronous=True,
+    automation.ApplyField(
+        CONF_BRIGHTNESS_MODE, "set_brightness_mode", MAX6956_CURRENTMODE
+    ),
+    automation.ApplyCall("write_brightness_mode()"),
 )
-async def max6956_set_brightness_mode_to_code(
-    config: ConfigType,
-    action_id: ID,
-    template_arg: cg.TemplateArguments,
-    args: TemplateArgsType,
-) -> MockObj:
-    paren = await cg.get_variable(config[CONF_ID])
-    var = cg.new_Pvariable(action_id, template_arg, paren)
-    template_ = await cg.templatable(
-        config[CONF_BRIGHTNESS_MODE], args, MAX6956_CURRENTMODE
-    )
-    cg.add(var.set_brightness_mode(template_))
-    return var
diff --git a/esphome/components/max6956/automation.h b/esphome/components/max6956/automation.h
deleted file mode 100644
index f1db2e3240..0000000000
--- a/esphome/components/max6956/automation.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-#pragma once
-
-#include "esphome/core/component.h"
-#include "esphome/core/automation.h"
-#include "esphome/components/max6956/max6956.h"
-
-namespace esphome::max6956 {
-
-template<typename... Ts> class SetCurrentGlobalAction final : public Action<Ts...> {
- public:
-  SetCurrentGlobalAction(MAX6956 *max6956) : max6956_(max6956) {}
-
-  TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(uint8_t, brightness_global)
-
-  void play(const Ts &...x) override {
-    this->max6956_->set_brightness_global(this->brightness_global_.value(x...));
-    this->max6956_->write_brightness_global();
-  }
-
- protected:
-  MAX6956 *max6956_;
-};
-
-template<typename... Ts> class SetCurrentModeAction final : public Action<Ts...> {
- public:
-  SetCurrentModeAction(MAX6956 *max6956) : max6956_(max6956) {}
-
-  TEMPLATABLE_VALUE(max6956::MAX6956CURRENTMODE, brightness_mode)
-
-  void play(const Ts &...x) override {
-    this->max6956_->set_brightness_mode(this->brightness_mode_.value(x...));
-    this->max6956_->write_brightness_mode();
-  }
-
- protected:
-  MAX6956 *max6956_;
-};
-}  // namespace esphome::max6956
diff --git a/tests/components/max6956/common-actions.yaml b/tests/components/max6956/common-actions.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..04886342c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/max6956/common-actions.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+button:
+  - platform: template
+    name: MAX6956 Actions
+    on_press:
+      - max6956.set_brightness_global: 10
+      - max6956.set_brightness_global:
+          id: max6956_1
+          brightness_global: !lambda return 5;
+      - max6956.set_brightness_mode:
+          id: max6956_1
+          brightness_mode: segment
+      - max6956.set_brightness_mode:
+          id: max6956_1
+          brightness_mode: !lambda return max6956::GLOBAL;
diff --git a/tests/components/max6956/test-actions.esp8266-ard.yaml b/tests/components/max6956/test-actions.esp8266-ard.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..96c170a9f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/max6956/test-actions.esp8266-ard.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+packages:
+  i2c: !include ../../test_build_components/common/i2c/esp8266-ard.yaml
+  max6956: !include common.yaml
+  actions: !include common-actions.yaml