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
Mobile Writer
Simon Chandler is a journalist based in London, UK. He covers technology and finance, contributing to such titles as Digital…
AirTags range: here’s how far the tracker can reach
An AirTag attached on a keyring

Apple AirTags are a helpful tool for tracking valuable possessions like wallets, keys, luggage, and backpacks. These tags employ various technologies that allow you to track your items from short and long distances using your compatible Apple device, such as an iPhone 15 Plus. You might wonder how far you can track your items with AirTags. It's time to find out.
AirTags range, explained

The range of AirTags varies depending on the method you use to locate them. A Bluetooth connection will work when your AirTags are close to your supported Apple device. Otherwise, Apple's Find My network is utilized. Luckily, you don't have to choose the method because it's selected behind the scenes automatically.

Read more
An Apple insider just revealed how iOS 18’s AI features will work
An iPhone 15 Pro Max laying face-down outside, showing the Natural Titanium color.

As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) inches closer, the chatter around the company’s AI work has taken a feverish turn. In a year when smartphone and computing brands have focused solely on AI niceties, Apple has been uncharacteristically silent around the AI hype — eliciting concern about the brand missing the train.

However, a new report has given us a closer look at how Apple's AI dreams may come to fruition with its iOS 18 update later this year.
New details on Apple's AI plans

Read more
Best iPhone deals: Save on iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro Max and more
iPhone 13 Pro in blue.

The Apple iPhone is likely the most popular smartphone of all time, and even older models are still seeing impressive sales. This popularity can make it difficult to find iPhone deals, but there are quite a few hanging around out there right now and some of them could be considered among the best phone deals currently taking place. And while you can always shop refurbished iPhone deals to ensure some savings, we think we’ve found some iPhone deals worth taking a look at right now. They include the newest model iPhone 15, so whether you’re looking for the latest and greatest or an iPhone that simply gets the job done, read onward and start shopping the best iPhone deals going on right now.
iPhone 15 128GB (AT&T) — $730, was $830 (plus up to $700 off w/ trade-in)

The Apple iPhone 15 finally brings with it Dynamic Island which we’ve only previously seen on the Pro range. It’s a real game changer at times and is very convenient. Alongside that, the Apple iPhone 15 has the Ceramic Shield front to keep it more protected while its 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display promises to be up to two times brighter than the iPhone 14 in the sun. There’s also a 48MP main camera with 2x telephoto lens to help you take great shots. The A16 Bionic chip has plenty of processing power to aid with software adjustments.

Read more