Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Guides

How to turn on the flashlight in Android and iOS

By

Smartphones are the Swiss army knives of the 21st century. Whether we’re talking about iPhones or Android phones, they can do nearly anything you’d want a digital device to do, from playing music and videos to sending emails and browsing the web. Conveniently enough, they can also turn into flashlights, helping light your way in the dark. That said, it may not be obvious how to turn on the flashlight on an iPhone or Android device, since the actions or gestures vary from device to device.

Recommended Videos

This article explains how to switch on the flashlight on Android and iOS devices. It covers newer and older iPhones, and it also covers the vast majority of Android smartphones, including a special gesture for OnePlus smartphones.

Related

Further reading

How to turn on the flashlight in iOS

If you have an iPhone with Face ID (i.e. an iPhone X or later, but not an iPhone 8 or the 2020 iPhone SE), you can turn on the flashlight in iOS by doing the following:

  1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the touchscreen. This opens the iPhone’s Control Center.
  2. Once in the Control Center and find the flashlight icon. It’s usually in the bottom half of the Control Center, although its exact position may vary from one iPhone to another.
  3. Tap the flashlight icon.

That’s it. If your iPhone has a Home button (i.e. the 2020 iPhone SE and iPhone 8 or earlier), the process is almost identical. Instead of swiping down from the top-right corner of the touchscreen, swipe up from the bottom of the touchscreen. Then follow the first two steps as described above.

To turn off the flashlight with iOS, repeat the above process. Tapping on the flashlight icon when the flashlight is on will turn it off.

Also, you can ask Siri to turn on your flashlight. Simply say, “Hey Siri, turn on the flashlight.”

If this isn’t enough, there are a number of third-party flashlight apps available on the Apple App Store, such as iHandy’s Flashlight Ⓞ and Lemondo’s Flashlight.

How to turn on the flashlight in Android

Turning on the flashlight on Android devices is also very easy. Assuming you have Android 5.0 or later on your smartphone, here’s what you do:

  1. Swipe down from the top of the touchscreen. This opens the notification bar.
  2. Once the notification bar is open, find the flashlight icon and tap it.

It’s as simple as that. As with the iPhone, you can also use Google Assistant to switch on your Android’s flashlight. To wake up Google Assistant, hold down on the Home button. Next, say, “Okay, Google, turn on the flashlight.”

If the two quick processes above don’t satisfy you, you can also find a variety of third-party flashlight apps on the Google Play Store. They don’t really make turning on the flashlight any quicker, but they may offer a range of different functions for the flashlight. Some of the most popular include Tiny Flashlight + LED and Brightest Flashlight Free.

Lastly, if you’re using a OnePlus phone, there’s a special gesture you can use to turn on the flashlight. Here’s how you activate and use it:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Gestures
  3. Tap Toggle flashlight.
  4. With Toggle flashlight enabled, you can now use your finger to draw a V on the touchscreen. This turns on the flashlight. Repeat the gesture to turn it off.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Simon Chandler
Simon Chandler
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Chandler is a journalist based in London, UK. He covers technology and finance, contributing to such titles as Digital…
It’s the end of the road for these two iPhone models
Apple iPhone 6S Plus

Seeing your favorite handheld gaming device in a retro store has a unique way of making you feel old, but Apple might have topped it. According to the company, the iPhone XS Max and iPhone 6s Plus are now "vintage." They join the ranks of the iPhone 4 and even the iPad Pro 12.9-inch model.

It's not wholly unexpected. Apple declares a device vintage after five years, and that means it becomes more difficult to have that device repaired or to find replacement parts for it. Obsolete is applied to products that are more than seven years old, but sometimes certain variants get that label early.

Read more
The uncertain future cost of Apple’s Emergency SOS feature
Person holding iPhone 14 searching for Emergency SOS satellite.

It's been roughly two years since the launch of the iPhone 14 and its Emergency SOS via satellite feature. You might recall that during the first two years, Apple said it would be free to use but that it might require a subscription after that time, according to MacRumors. Last year, Apple extended the time limit by one more year, so you actually have until November 2025, when the trial period ends.

That's good news. The Emergency SOS feature is, quite literally, lifesaving. During April of this year, three university students lost their way in a canyon and used the feature to call for help. Another story arose in July where the feature came through once more in a moment of crisis. And if you keep digging, you'll find numerous other examples of how this tech is truly beneficial.

Read more
The 10 best messaging apps for Android and iOS in 2024
best messaging apps.

Want to learn more about which messaging app best suits your needs? WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal are among the most secure picks, with end-to-end encryption to keep your chats safe. But there are also unique apps like Dust, where messages self-destruct after 24 hours, and Discord, which lets gamers easily chat while playing together. Meanwhile, Snapchat and Kik are popular for younger crowds with fun filters and the ability to join large group chats.

With so many messaging apps out there offering features like video calls, file sharing, and disappearing messages, it can be hard to choose the best one. That's why we've tested 10 of the most popular options on Android and iOS. Check out the full rundown with all the must-know details. They run on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, iPhone 16, and anything else that runs on Android or iOS.
WhatsApp

Read more