How to Turn On Flashlight on iPhone: Four Quick Ways

Rummaging in a dark car park for your keys, checking a cable behind the desk, reading a menu in a dim restaurant: the iPhone's torch gets used more than almost any other feature. There are four ways to switch it on, and one of them doesn't even need you to look at the screen.

Switching the torch on from Control Center

1. Open Control Center. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom.
2. Tap the Flashlight button.
3. Tap it again when you want to turn it off.

If you can't see the Flashlight button, it's been removed from Control Center. Tap the Add button while Control Center's open, tap Add a Control at the bottom and choose Flashlight from the gallery.

Four ways to turn it on

Method	How	Handy when
Control Center	Swipe to open, tap Flashlight	Your phone's already in your hand
Lock Screen button	Press the flashlight button on the Lock Screen	You haven't unlocked the phone
Siri	Say "Siri, turn on the flashlight"	Your hands are full
Action button	Press and hold, once it's set to Flashlight	You want it without looking

Using the Lock Screen button

Most iPhones show a flashlight button at the bottom of the Lock Screen. Apple says that if yours has it, you can press it to turn the flashlight on or off. It's the fastest route because you don't have to get past Face ID first.

If the button's missing, someone has swapped it for a different control. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, tap the Remove button on the control you don't want, then tap the Add Quick Action button and choose the flashlight.

Asking Siri

Say something like "Siri, turn on the flashlight", and the same to switch it off. I use this more than any other method when I'm carrying shopping bags or a box of stock in from the car.

Setting the Action button to the torch

On iPhone models with an Action button in place of the old Ring/Silent switch, you can make one press and hold switch the flashlight on:

1. Open Settings and tap Action Button.
2. Swipe through the actions until Flashlight appears below the dots.
3. Leave the screen. Press and hold the Action button to turn the torch on, and again to turn it off.

The catch is that the Action button does one job at a time. Apple says Silent Mode is the default, so if you assign it to Flashlight, you'll lose the quick silent switch. I'd only do this if you reach for the torch more than you silence your phone.

Making the beam brighter or dimmer

This is the bit most people never find. When the flashlight is on, Apple says an image of the flashlight appears on the screen, and you can drag the brightness control up or down on it to set the strength of the beam. A softer beam is kinder when you're checking on a sleeping child or reading in bed next to someone. Turn it up when you're looking for something you've dropped outside.

Turning it off quickly

Switching the torch off is just as easy, and it's worth knowing the fastest way so it doesn't sit glowing in your pocket. Use the same route you used to turn it on: tap the Flashlight button in Control Center again, press the Lock Screen button again, ask Siri to turn it off, or press and hold the Action button a second time. If you've walked off with it on, the Lock Screen button is usually the quickest, because you can see at a glance that it's lit.

If the flashlight won't turn on

• Check the Flashlight button is in Control Center. If not, add it from the controls gallery.
• If you've set the Action button to something else, it won't control the torch.
• Check the Lock Screen still has the flashlight control and hasn't been swapped for another.
• Try a different method, such as Siri, to see whether the problem is the button or the light itself.
• Restart your iPhone and try again.

If the light still won't come on by any method, contact Apple Support rather than downloading a torch app, because every route uses the same built-in light.

Other places the light switches on

You'll also find a flashlight option inside a few other tools. Apple's QR code scanner in Control Center has a flashlight you can tap to add light to a code you're scanning, and the Magnifier app includes a Flashlight control for reading small print in a dim room. Both use the same light, so you don't need a separate torch app.

What I'd do

Keep the Lock Screen button, it's the fastest of the lot. Learn the brightness slider, because a gentler beam is often all you need. And only give the torch the Action button if you use it every day. While you're getting more out of your phone, my guides on screen recording on iPhone and recording audio on iPhone are worth a look.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the flashlight on my iPhone?

It's in Control Center, and usually as a button at the bottom of the Lock Screen.

Can I make the iPhone flashlight brighter?

Yes. With the torch on, drag the brightness control up or down on the flashlight image on screen.

How do I turn on the flashlight without touching the screen?

Ask Siri to turn on the flashlight, or set the Action button to Flashlight on models that have one.

Why is the flashlight missing from Control Center?

It's been removed. Tap the Add button in Control Center, tap Add a Control and choose Flashlight.

How do I put the flashlight back on the Lock Screen?

Customise the Lock Screen, remove the control you don't want, tap Add Quick Action and choose the flashlight.