Step 1 of 4Turn On the Flashlight From the Lock Screen

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How to Use the iPhone Flashlight and Make It Brighter

Your iPhone's flashlight is more powerful than most people realize — you can turn it on instantly from the lock screen and adjust the brightness. Here is everything you need to know.

3 min read 4 stepsApril 19, 2026Verified April 2026

Turn On the Flashlight From the Lock Screen

~24s

When your phone screen is dark (lock screen showing), look in the bottom-left corner. You will see a small flashlight icon. Press and hold it (Haptic Touch) — the flashlight turns on immediately. You do not need to unlock your phone.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: To turn off: press and hold the flashlight icon in the lock screen corner again, or swipe up to open Control Center and tap the flashlight button.

Control the Flashlight From Control Center

~16s

Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (iPhone with Face ID) or swipe up from the bottom (iPhone 8 and older) to open Control Center. Tap the flashlight icon (looks like a small flashlight beam). The flashlight turns on at full brightness.

Adjust Flashlight Brightness

~18s

In Control Center, press and hold the flashlight icon instead of just tapping it. A vertical brightness slider appears. Drag your finger up for brighter light, down for dimmer light. There are four brightness levels. Drag to the lowest setting for a gentle glow — ideal for nighttime or not waking a partner.

Add Flashlight to Your Lock Screen

~17s

On iPhone running iOS 16 or later, you can customize the lock screen shortcuts. Press and hold on your lock screen → "Customize" → lock screen → tap the bottom-left or bottom-right shortcut icon → choose Flashlight. Now the flashlight button is exactly where you want it.

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Your iPhone has a powerful LED flashlight built into the back camera flash. It is one of the most-used features on any phone — great for finding something in a dark room, reading a menu in a dim restaurant, looking under furniture, or walking to the car at night.

Turning on the flashlight takes just one tap from the Control Center. You can even turn it on from the lock screen without unlocking your phone — helpful when you need light fast.

Most people do not know that the iPhone flashlight has brightness settings. You can adjust it from a very dim glow (good for reading in bed without disturbing others) to maximum brightness for a powerful beam. The brightness control is hidden in the Control Center.

The flashlight uses the camera flash LED, which runs warm during extended use. Your phone may show a temperature warning and dim the flashlight if it gets too hot — this is normal and protects the hardware.

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