How to Turn On the Flashlight on Your iPhone Without Unlocking It

When you need light right now

You're fumbling for the keyhole on the front porch. The power's flickered off and you need to find the fuse box. You've dropped an earring behind the nightstand. In the old days, this meant hunting for a flashlight in the junk drawer — and hoping the batteries still worked.

Your iPhone has a bright little flashlight built right in. And the best part is you don't have to unlock the phone, type in your passcode, or open any app to use it. It's ready in about one second.

The button hiding on your lock screen

When you pick up your iPhone and the screen lights up but you haven't unlocked it yet, you'll see the time, the date, and probably a few notifications. Look down toward the bottom corners of the screen. There, tucked in the left corner, is a small circle with a picture of a flashlight inside it. In the right corner is a matching circle with a camera.

These two buttons live on your lock screen so you can grab them in a hurry. They're a bit like the porch light switch right by the door — you don't want to walk across the house to find it.

How to turn the light on (and off)

Here's the trick: a regular tap won't do it. Apple made these buttons require a firm press so you don't turn the flashlight on by accident in your pocket or purse.

Wake up your phone by lifting it or pressing the side button. You should see the clock on the screen.
Find the flashlight circle in the bottom-left corner.
Press and hold it firmly for about half a second, until you feel a small thump from the phone.
The light on the back of your phone will switch on, bright as can be.

To turn it off, do the exact same thing again — press and hold that same flashlight button until you feel the thump. The light goes out.

A couple of things worth knowing

The flashlight uses the same little bulb that flashes when you take a photo with the flash on. It's brighter than you'd expect — plenty for walking down a dark hallway or reading a label in the pantry.

It also uses a fair bit of battery, so it's worth turning off when you're done rather than leaving it on. And if you happen to open the camera while the flashlight is on, the flashlight will switch itself off. That's normal.

If you don't see the flashlight button on your lock screen at all, it may have been hidden. Most iPhones show it by default, so if yours is missing, that's a small setting to sort out another day — for now, you can also swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen and tap the flashlight icon there.

Try it tonight

Before bed tonight, pick up your iPhone, let the screen light up, and press and hold that little flashlight circle in the bottom-left corner. Get a feel for how firmly you need to press. Then press it again to turn it off.

Once you've done it two or three times, your fingers will remember. The next time you're standing in a dark garage or trying to read the fine print on a pill bottle in dim light, you'll have a flashlight ready before you even think about it.

Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.