How to turn off flashlight on iPhone
Cameras are a staple feature on a smartphone. Originally, not all of them came with a flash but that too has become a standard feature on phones. On some phones, the flash double as an indicator for when there are new or unread notifications. It’s basically a light on your phone that, given the right app, can be used for different things.
Flashlight on iPhone
All current models of the iPhone have a flash that works with the camera. It also doubles as a flashlight. It’s such a useful feature that Apple added a shortcut to turn the flashlight on and off from the lock screen.
There are two ways to turn the flashlight on; you can long press the flashlight button on the lock or you can add the flashlight to the control center and use the toggle to turn it on.
Turn off flashlight on iPhone
To turn off the flashlight on the iPhone from the lock screen; press and hold the flashlight icon at the bottom left of the screen until you feel haptic feedback and the light turns off.
To turn off the flashlight from the Control Center, open Control Center and tap the Flashlight button. On Face ID models, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen. On iPhones with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. If you do not see the Flashlight button in Control Center, you can add it:
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to Control Center.
- Under More controls, tap the plus button next to Torch.
- Open Control Center and tap the Flashlight button to turn it off (or on).
The torch toggle also gives users access to brightness controls for the flashlight. You can lower its brightness.
- Swipe down from the top right of the screen to open the control center.
- Press and hold the torch toggle.
- Select a brightness level and the torch will be set for it.
- The next time you turn the torch/flashlight on, it will be as bright as you’ve set it.
You can change the brightness from the control center any time you want. The brightness does not impact the flash when it works in the camera app.
Turn off the flashlight with Siri or the Action Button
There are two more quick ways to turn off the iPhone flashlight that are worth knowing about.
Using Siri: You can ask Siri to turn off the flashlight hands-free. Say “Hey Siri, turn off my flashlight” or press and hold the Side button and give the same voice command. Siri will switch the light off without you needing to unlock your phone or open Control Center.
Using the Action Button: On supported models — including iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and later — the Action Button can be configured to toggle the flashlight. To set it up, go to Settings > Action Button and select Flashlight. Once it is assigned, press and hold the Action Button to turn the flashlight off (or on). This is the fastest single-button method available on compatible iPhones.
What to do if the iPhone flashlight won’t turn off
If the flashlight seems stuck and the normal toggle is not responding, work through these steps from least to most disruptive until the problem is resolved.
- Tap the Flashlight button in Control Center again. Sometimes a second tap is all it takes.
- Close the Camera app. The camera and flashlight share the same LED, so if the Camera app is open it can prevent the flashlight from switching off.
- Lock and then unlock your iPhone. This forces the lock screen to refresh.
- Restart your iPhone. Press and hold the Side button (and a Volume button on Face ID models) until the power slider appears, slide to power off, then turn it back on.
- Install any pending iOS update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Software bugs can sometimes affect hardware controls.
- As a last resort, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. This resets your preferences without erasing your data, but you will need to reconfigure your settings afterward.
Stop the flashlight from turning on by accident
If you find the flashlight switching on in your pocket or bag, a few settings changes can help prevent accidental activation.
- Disable Tap to Wake: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch and turn off Tap to Wake. This stops the screen from waking when the phone is tapped, which is a common cause of accidental Lock Screen presses.
- Disable Raise to Wake: Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and turn off Raise to Wake. This prevents the screen from lighting up every time the phone moves inside a bag.
- Check Back Tap: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and check whether Flashlight has been assigned to a double or triple tap. If it has, remove it or reassign it to a different action.
- Check your case: A tight-fitting case can put pressure on the corners of the screen and trigger unintended Lock Screen presses. Try removing the case temporarily to see if accidental activation stops.
Note: Lock Screen customization options vary by iOS version, so some of the above paths may look slightly different depending on which version of iOS your iPhone is running.
Conclusion
The flash doubling as a camera is a great example of a user feature that became mainstream. This ‘feature’ was originally added on Android phones via an app. At the time, the same feature was added on iOS devices via jailbreak tweaks. It took a long time before it was finally added as an OS level feature on both Android and iOS. The flash on newer phone models (iPhone and Android) can be used as a flashlight but it’s going to drain the battery much, must more quickly. You should only use it if you’re in a pinch.
