The flashlight on the iPhone is one of those things you probably use all the time, for a variety of things. The built-in feature is perfect when you wake up late at night and want to find your way around your home without smashing your toe into your nightstand or fumbling over the stairs. And while turning the flashlight on and off might seem like a pretty straightforward affair, there’s more to it if you intend to use 3D Touch and the newly released iOS 10.
In this guide, we’re going to explain how to turn on the flashlight faster on an iPhone by using Raise to Wake. First, let’s see how 3D Touch provides deeper interaction with the flashlight toggle in Control Center.
There’s so much more you can do with 3D Touch! We have put together some great 3D Touch tips to help you master it.
Turning on the Flashlight and using 3D Touch
Turning on the flashlight is very easy to do. Open the Control Center by swiping up on your display and pressing the flashlight toggle — the icon in the bottom-left corner that’s adorned with a flashlight silhouette. If you have an iPhone equipped with 3D Touch, you can also control the intensity of the light. To do so, push firmly on the flashlight toggle and choose either Low Light, Medium Light, or Bright Light.
Control Center is easily accessible from your lock screen. First, make sure that Raise To Wake is turned on by going to Settings > Display and Brightness. Then you can turn on the flashlight by simply picking up your phone and swiping up from the bottom to reveal Control Center. The feature is compatible with the iPhone SE, 6S, 6S Plus, 7, and 7 Plus.
Turning off the flashlight faster from the lock screen
Turning off the flashlight on the iPhone from the lock screen is just as easy. Simply swipe up on your display to bring up the Control Center, and press the highlighted flashlight button again to toggle off the feature. Keep in mind that, when using the flashlight, your screen will eventually go to sleep. You can also turn off the flashlight faster and skip the Control Center if you follow the instructions below.
Step 1: As we mentioned, make sure Raise to Wake is turned on by going to Settings > Display and Brightness.
Step 2: Once activated, raise your phone toward you to wake up the screen.
Step 3: Swipe left on the screen, as though you’re going to open the camera app, but let go half way through the motion.
The power button — especially on the iPhone Plus models — may be hard to reach. Raise to Wake makes it a lot easier to quickly access the lock screen. If you have an iPhone 6 or older model, then you can unlock your phone by pressing the home button or power button.
Don’t forget to take a look at our top 25 tips and tricks for the iPhone for more helpful hints. And if accessing things from the lock screen make you worry about security, here are seven tips to make your iPhone safer.
Update: We’ve updated this article slightly for clarity on how to turn on the flashlight on an iPhone.