How To Turn Your Flashlight on or off on iPhone and iPad (2025)

The flashlight on your iPhone is as straightforward as it gets, but there’s more to it than just tapping an icon. You can turn it on from the Lock Screen, access it through Control Center, or even adjust the brightness. There’s also a chance you might accidentally remove the shortcut while customizing controls.

Here’s a quick guide on how to turn the flashlight off and on, plus what to do if the icon goes missing.

How To Turn Off Flashlight in the Newer iPhone Models and iOS Versions (iPhone X & Above)

1. Control Flashlight Through Lock Screen

2. Turn the Flashlight on and off With Control Center

Control Center is where you access your most-used settings with just a swipe. Things like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, volume, and yes, the flashlight. If you didn’t turn it on from the Lock Screen, chances are you used Control Center instead. Here’s how to find and use the flashlight from there.

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open the Control Center.
2. Tap the Flashlight icon.
   
3. You’ll see the icon turn white, indicating that your flashlight is already enabled.

3. Voice Control Your iPhone Flashlight With Siri

Sometimes, tapping through your phone isn’t practical, like when your hands are wet, dirty, or full. That’s where Siri comes in handy. You can say, “Hey Siri, turn on the flashlight” or “Hey Siri, turn off the flashlight,” and your iPhone will respond instantly. It’s a simple, hands-free way to control the flashlight without needing to swipe or tap.

NOTE

Siri is a useful virtual assistant but can get on your nerves at times. So, if you wish to reset Siri Suggestions, please follow our guide on the same. 

Control Flashlight Using the Back Tap Feature

Back Tap is a hidden gem in iOS Accessibility settings. It lets you double- or triple-tap the back of your iPhone to trigger specific actions, including turning on the flashlight. Once enabled, you won’t need to swipe into Control Center or use your voice. Just tap the back of your phone, and the flashlight turns on instantly.

1. Settings > Accessibility.
2. Tap Touch.
3. Scroll down to Back Tap.
   
4. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
5. Select Flashlight from the list of actions.

How to Control the Brightness of Your iPhone’s Flashlight

You don’t always need the flashlight at full blast, especially in a dark room where a sudden burst of brightness can be overwhelming. Thankfully, iOS lets you adjust the flashlight’s intensity. To do this, open the Control Center and long-press the flashlight icon. A vertical brightness slider will appear. Just drag it up or down to set your preferred light level.

1. Scroll down from the top-right corner of the screen to open the Control Center.
2. Press and hold the flashlight icon.
3. A brightness slider with four different levels should pop up shortly.
   

NOTE

Did you know you can use Apple Watch to control iPhone flashlight? It is a cool way to use flashlights on iPhone without touching the device.

How to Add Flashlight To Control Center

Is the Flashlight icon missing from the Control Center? Check if you accidentally deleted it because iOS 18 lets you add and delete control widgets on your iPhone.

1. Open the Control Center by swiping down from the top-tight corner of the screen.
2. Press and hold on any blank space.
   
3. Look for the Flashlight icon and add it to any available control.

How To Turn Flashlight off and on in Older iPhones

If you still use an older iPhone model, i.e., iPhone 8 or earlier, here’s where you’ll find the flashlight icon.

1. Swipe up on your home screen to open Control Center. 
2. Tap on the flashlight icon to turn it on. Tap on it again to turn it off. 
3. Long press the icon to open the flashlight brightness setting screen.