iPhone and Samsung flashlight hidden features most people don’t know

Most people treat their phone’s flashlight as a simple on/off switch. You press it when you put something under the couch or walk through a dark parking lot. That’s it.

But with the latest software updates, iPhone and Samsung phones have quietly transformed the flashlight into something much more useful. You can control the brightness. On some devices you can even change the beam width.

Once you know where to look, it feels like you just upgraded your phone without spending a dollar.

10 IOS 26 TRICKS THAT HELP YOU GET MORE OUT OF YOUR IPHONE

Understanding common phone settings helps users stay safer, avoid scams, and reduce battery drain. (Silas Stein/photo alliance)

iPhone Flashlight Features You’re Probably Missing

Your iPhone’s flashlight does more than turn on and off, and a few hidden controls can completely change the way you use it.

How to Adjust iPhone Flashlight Brightness

On almost all iPhones:

• Swipe down at the top right to open Control Center
• Press and hold flashlight icon
• Drag the vertical slider up to increase the brightness or down to decrease it

This has been around for years, but many people keep typing instead of holding. This is where the real control lies.

How to Change iPhone Flashlight Beam Width (Pro Models)

This is the feature most people have never seen. On newer Pro iPhones running the latest software:

• Swipe down to open the control center
• Press and hold flashlight icon
• When the flashlight control appears at the top of the screen, swipe left or right to adjust the beam width

You can go from a narrow, focused beam to a wide stream of light.

This means:

• Narrow beam = better to see further
• Wide beam = better for lighting an entire area

This feature was introduced in iOS 18 and is still available in iOS 26.4, but it only works on iPhone 14 Pro and newer Pro models, including iPhone 15 Pro and later. You won’t see it on standard models.

How to turn on iPhone flashlight from lock screen

You don’t even need to unlock your phone:

• Press and hold the flashlight icon on the lock screen

It turns on instantly, which is faster than scrolling through menus.

How to Use Siri to Control Your iPhone’s Flashlight

You can say:

• “Hey Siri, turn on the flashlight.”
• “Set the flashlight to 50 percent.”
• “Hey Siri, turn off the flashlight.”

It’s one of the quickest hands-free options when your hands are full.

Security experts warn that the public leak of DarkSword could turn a threat once focused on the iPhone into a broader risk for users running outdated Apple software. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)

Bonus: Use iPhone Flashlight for Alerts and Notifications

Your iPhone can use the flashlight as a visual alert:

• Go to Settings
• Faucet Accessibility
• Faucet Audio-visual
• Scroll down and turn on Flash for alerts

Your flashlight flashes during calls and notifications, which is useful if your phone is on silent or in a noisy location.

Samsung Flashlight Features You Need to Know

Samsung takes a different approach and, in some ways, gives you more flexibility from the start.

Note: Settings may vary depending on your Samsung device model and One UI version.

How to adjust the brightness of the Samsung flashlight

On most Samsung Galaxy phones:

• Swipe down open Quick Settings
• Press and hold THE flashlight icon
• Use the brightness slider (labeled “Brightness”) to adjust the light level

Many people miss this because a single press only turns the flashlight on or off. Brightness controls appear after a long press, giving you more control depending on your situation.

How to turn on Samsung flashlight with your voice

If you use the Google Assistant:

• “Ok Google, turn on the flashlight.”
• “Ok Google, turn off the flashlight.”

This works well when your hands are full or when you need quick access.

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How to Customize Access to Samsung Flashlight

Samsung offers you several ways to keep the flashlight handy. To keep it in your main Quick Settings panel:

• Swipe down from the top of the screen open Quick Settings
• If you don’t see the flashlight icon in the main panel, tap the icon pencil icon edit
• Faucet To modify
• Find Flashlight in the available buttons
• Hold and drag the flashlight icon in the main quick settings area
• Faucet Do Or To safeguard if we are invited

Bonus: Use Samsung Flashlight for alerts and notifications

Samsung phones can also use the flashlight for visual alerts:

• Go to Settings
• Faucet Accessibility
• Faucet Advanced settings
• Faucet Flash notifications
• To light up Camera flash notification

You can also turn on Screen flash notification if you want your screen to turn on instead.

When iPhone and Samsung Flashlight Features Really Matter

This is where it comes in handy:

• Walking at night: a narrow beam helps you see further
• Power outage: a wide beam illuminates more of the room
• Looking for something nearby: lower brightness avoids intense reflections
• Emergency situations: faster access can save time

Once you start adjusting the light instead of just turning it on, it becomes much more useful.

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As Samsung moves to Google Messages, many people are receiving confusing alerts that can be easy to misinterpret. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Kurt’s Key Takeaways

The flashlight is one of the most used features on your phone, but most people never go beyond the basics. Apple has improved hardware and software control, while Samsung has focused on flexibility and customization. Both approaches make a simple tool much more efficient.

Have you ever discovered a hidden feature on your phone that made you wonder what else you were missing? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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