Skip to main content

One of iOS 18’s coolest features just got even better

An iPhone home screen with iOS 18.
Apple

In June, we told you how Apple had updated the built-in flashlight’s interface in iOS 18. The latest iOS 18 beta 3 update includes further enhancements to the flashlight UI, making it more attractive and user-friendly.

TechCrunch explains that in the iOS 18 beta 3, the flashlight design now includes a curved line to indicate both the width of the beam and its brightness. The UI also now includes a dotted, curved line at the top to indicate the flashlight’s peak intensity mark. These latest flashlight changes are minor, and it’s unclear whether they will be included in the final version of iOS 18. However, the changes demonstrate that Apple intends to revitalize a feature originally introduced in 2013.

Recommended Videos

OK this new flashlight UI in iOS 18 beta 3 has absolutely no right to go this hard. Too cool pic.twitter.com/vIyaiBYyHp

— Sebastiaan de With (@sdw) July 8, 2024

In previous versions of iOS, it was possible to change the brightness levels of your iPhone’s flashlight. In iOS 15, you can also adjust the beam pattern of the light, allowing you to make the flashlight beam wider or narrower.

For iPhone users with iOS 18, the flashlight icon is conveniently located in the Control Center. Tapping on it brings up a user-friendly interface with a well-sized flashlight icon at the top middle of the device. From there, you can easily adjust the brightness level of the light and, now, its radius.

If you want to try out the new flashlight tool and other released features of iOS 18, you can install the current beta version on your supported iPhone. However, since we are only on the third iOS 15 beta, more betas will be released before the official version arrives, likely in September. Beta releases may include only some new features and can contain bugs. Apple advises against installing iOS 18 on your main iPhone. If you prefer to wait, it’s better to install iOS 18 when the first public beta is released, which is expected to happen soon.

Apple announced iOS 18 at last month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) alongside iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and macOS 15 Sequoia.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
This app turned my iPhone into a vintage photography powerhouse
Clicking. Pictures using XP4N Camera app on iPhone.

I recently went on a photo journey without letting the iPhone’s camera processing “pollute” an otherwise pristine frame. The tool I used was Halide’s Process Zero, and the objective was to eliminate excessive sharpening, saturation adjustment, and exposure compensation. 

The results, in their grainy and noisy glory, were a stark contrast from what the iPhone cameras produce. With a bit of basic editing, these unprocessed images took on a lovely cinematic character of their own. 

Read more
The Siri upgrade you’re waiting for might not be ready until 2026
Siri being shown on an iPhone 15 Pro on iOS 18.

It looks like Apple's Siri will be getting more intelligent — in time.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently highlighted that Apple is reportedly working on a more conversational version of its digital assistant, Siri. The goal is to enhance Siri's capabilities and compete with advanced voice services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This upgraded version is expected to integrate more sophisticated large language models (LLMs), enabling more natural interactions.

Read more
Which iPhone model is the most popular? A new report has the answer
The iPhone 16 sticking out of someone's pocket.

For the last three years, Apple has launched four new iPhones each fall: a regular model, the iPhone Plus, iPhone Pro, and iPhone Pro Max. A new report by CIRP reveals which model is the most popular. And you may be surprised by the answer.

Since the iPhone 14 series in 2022, the regular iPhone has consistently been Apple’s top-selling handset, and it’s not even close.

Read more