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

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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.

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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

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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
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
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