How to Turn Off the Flashlight on iPhone

To turn off the flashlight on an iPhone, open Control Center and tap the Flashlight button. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge. You can also press and hold the Flashlight button on the Lock Screen, ask Siri, or press and hold the Action button if you set it to Flashlight.

This guide covers the iPhone flashlight on current versions of iOS, including iOS 18, iOS 26, and iOS 27. The steps follow Apple’s support article Turn the flashlight on or off on your iPhone or iPad Pro and the flashlight page of the iPhone User Guide. Nothing here needs an app or an account. The flashlight is the LED flash on the back of the phone, and every method below is simply a switch for that one light.

Before You Start

• Any method turns the light off. It does not matter how the flashlight was turned on. If it came on from the Lock Screen, you can still turn it off from Control Center or with Siri.
• Know which iPhone you have. An iPhone with Face ID has no round button below the screen. An iPhone with a Home button, such as an iPhone SE, does. The two types open Control Center with different swipes.
• The Action button is only on some models. Apple says it is available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and later models. It sits above the volume buttons, where older iPhones have the Ring/Silent switch.
• Turning the light off is harmless. It changes no settings, and you can turn the light back on the same way.

Turn Off the Flashlight in Control Center

Control Center is the panel of quick controls for things like Wi-Fi, volume, and screen brightness. This is the method Apple lists for every iPhone, so start here.

1. Open Control Center. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
2. Find the Flashlight button. It is the button with a small flashlight icon. If you have rearranged your controls, it may be in a different spot or in another group of controls. Keep swiping down on a Face ID iPhone to see more groups.
3. Tap the Flashlight button. The light on the back of the phone goes out right away.
4. Close Control Center. Swipe up from the bottom center of the screen on an iPhone with Face ID, or press the Home button.

If the swipe does nothing while the phone is locked, Control Center may be turned off for the Lock Screen. Unlock the phone and try again, or see how to use Control Center on the Lock Screen.

Turn Off the Flashlight From the Lock Screen

If your iPhone shows a Flashlight button on the Lock Screen, you do not need to unlock the phone or open anything.

1. Wake the iPhone. Tap the screen, raise the phone, or press the side button once. Stay on the Lock Screen.
2. Press and hold the Flashlight button. Apple places it in the bottom-left corner of the Lock Screen. A quick tap is not enough. Hold your finger on the button for a moment, then let go.
3. Check the back of the phone. The light should be off. Press and hold the same button again if you want it back on.

Not every Lock Screen has this button. It can be swapped for another control or removed, which is covered later in this guide. If you do not see it, use Control Center or Siri instead.

Ask Siri to Turn Off the Flashlight

Siri is the hands-free option. It helps when the phone is across the room, or when the screen is hard to use with wet hands or gloves.

1. Get Siri’s attention. Say Hey Siri, or press and hold the side button. On an iPhone with a Home button, press and hold the Home button.
2. Say the command. Apple’s example is “Hey Siri, turn off my flashlight.”
3. Check that the light went out. If Siri did not understand, repeat the request and say the word flashlight clearly.

Voice activation only works if Siri is set to listen for it. If nothing happens when you speak, press and hold the side button instead, or open the Settings app and look at the Siri options.

Use the Action Button

If your iPhone has an Action button and you assigned Flashlight to it, the button works as an on and off switch.

1. Press and hold the Action button. A short press does nothing. Apple’s instructions say to press and hold.
2. Let go when the light turns off. Press and hold again to turn it back on.

If pressing the button does something else, it is set to a different action. To check, open Settings, tap Action Button, and swipe through the choices until you see Flashlight. Our guide on how to set the Action button walks through every option.

Use Back Tap as a Shortcut

Back Tap is an accessibility feature that runs an action when you double-tap or triple-tap the back of the iPhone. Apple documents where the setting lives, and its list of actions depends on your iOS version, so treat this as an optional extra.

1. Open Settings and go to Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
2. Tap Double Tap or Triple Tap.
3. Choose Flashlight if it appears in the list of actions.
4. Double-tap or triple-tap the back of the phone to switch the light on or off.

To undo this, go back to the same screen and choose None. Apple’s Back Tap instructions show the same path.

Which Method Should You Use?

Situation	Best method	What to do
Phone is unlocked	Control Center	Open Control Center and tap the Flashlight button
Phone is locked	Lock Screen button	Press and hold the Flashlight button in the bottom-left corner
Hands are busy	Siri	Say “Hey Siri, turn off my flashlight”
iPhone with an Action button set to Flashlight	Action button	Press and hold the Action button
Flashlight button is missing	Siri, then add the control back	Ask Siri now, then follow the fix below

Dim the Flashlight Instead of Turning It Off

If the light is simply too bright, you can lower it. Open Control Center, press and hold the Flashlight button, and drag the slider down. Drag it up for a brighter light.

On iPhone 14 Pro and later Pro models, Apple also lets you reshape the beam from the Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped area at the top of the screen. Turn on the flashlight, tap the Dynamic Island, then touch and hold the light icon and drag it to change the width and length of the beam.

If the Flashlight Button Is Missing or Will Not Respond

The button is not in Control Center

Controls can be removed from Control Center, so the Flashlight button may have been taken out by accident. On recent versions of iOS, open Control Center, touch and hold an empty area to start editing, tap Add a Control at the bottom of the screen, and pick Flashlight from the controls gallery. On older versions, Apple’s instructions are to go to Settings > Control Center and tap Flashlight in the list of available controls. Apple’s page on customizing Control Center has the full steps.

The button is not on the Lock Screen

The Lock Screen controls can be swapped or removed. Use Control Center or Siri to turn the light off now. To put the button back, touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, and add the Flashlight control again. See how to change the Lock Screen on iPhone for the full process.

The light will not turn off or on

Try a different method first. If the Lock Screen button does not respond, use Control Center, and if that fails, ask Siri. If none of them work, Apple’s article If the camera or flash on your iPhone isn’t working suggests these steps, in order:

1. Remove any case, film, or accessory that could block or interfere with the flash.
2. Restart the iPhone.
3. Update the iPhone to the latest version of iOS in Settings > General > Software Update.
4. If the flash still does not behave, contact Apple Support about service.

Control Center will not open inside an app

Apple includes a setting that blocks Control Center while you are using apps. Go to Settings > Control Center and check that Access Within Apps is turned on. You can also return to the Home Screen and swipe from there.

Stop the Flashlight From Turning On by Accident

If you keep finding the light on in a pocket or bag, one of the shortcuts is probably being pressed without you noticing. You can remove the shortcut that causes it. Each change below is optional and reversible, and each one also takes away a quick way to turn the light on, so only change the one that is causing the problem.

• Lock Screen button: touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose the Lock Screen, and tap the minus button on the Flashlight control. You can leave the spot empty or pick another control. This option is in recent versions of iOS.
• Action button: go to Settings > Action Button and swipe to a different action, such as Silent Mode or No Action.
• Back Tap: go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap and set the gesture that triggers the light to None.
• Control Center on the Lock Screen: go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode), enter your passcode, and turn off Control Center under Allow Access When Locked. After this, Control Center only opens when the phone is unlocked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does tapping the Lock Screen flashlight button do nothing?

The Lock Screen button needs a press and hold, not a quick tap. Rest your finger on the button a little longer, then lift it. This is deliberate, and it makes it harder to switch the light by brushing against the screen.

Does opening the Camera turn off the flashlight?

The flashlight and the camera flash are the same LED. Many iPhone sites describe swiping toward the Camera on the Lock Screen as a way to turn off the flashlight. Apple does not list this as a method, so rely on the Flashlight button, Siri, or the Action button instead.

Can I turn off the flashlight without touching the screen?

Yes. Say “Hey Siri, turn off my flashlight,” or press and hold the side button and give the same command. On an iPhone with the Action button set to Flashlight, press and hold that button.

Can I remove the flashlight from the Lock Screen?

On recent versions of iOS, yes. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose the Lock Screen, and tap the minus button on the Flashlight control. Apple’s custom Lock Screen guide describes swapping the controls this way.

Does this work on an iPad?

Apple’s flashlight article covers iPad Pro as well as iPhone. On an iPad, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center, then tap the Flashlight button. An iPad without an LED flash on the back has no flashlight to control.

Next Steps

Once the light is off, decide whether it needs to be easier or harder to reach next time. For the reverse of this guide, see how to turn on the iPhone flashlight, even when locked.

If the light comes on while you film, see how to turn off the light when recording video on iPhone. To keep the flash from firing in photos, see how to turn off the camera flash on iPhone.