Why is my flashlight icon missing?

The Flashlight control was removed from Control Center or the Lock Screen, or moved to another Control Center page. The flashlight itself is still there. Add it back with Control Center, plus, Add a Control, Flashlight, or turn it on by asking Siri.

How do I get the flashlight back in Control Center?

Open Control Center, tap the plus at the top left or touch and hold an empty area, tap Add a Control, search for Flashlight and tap it. On iOS 17 and earlier, go to Settings, Control Center and tap the plus next to Flashlight.

How do I put the flashlight back on my Lock Screen?

On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, choose Lock Screen, remove the control in the bottom corner with the minus, tap the plus and choose Flashlight. iPhones with a Home button have no Lock Screen flashlight button.

Why is my iPhone flashlight greyed out?

Usually because an app is using the camera, the iPhone is too hot, or the battery is very low. Close camera apps and video calls, let the phone cool down or charge it, then restart if it is still grey.

Why is my flashlight not working on my iPhone?

Check that no app is using the camera, that the phone is not hot or almost empty, and that a case is not covering the LED. Restart and update iOS. If the light does not come on in the Camera app’s Video mode with the flash on, the LED may need repair.

Can I make the iPhone flashlight dimmer?

Yes. Turn it on in Control Center, then touch and hold the Flashlight control and drag the slider down. The iPhone keeps the level for next time.

Flashlight Missing on iPhone? How to Get It Back [Fix]

Why the flashlight icon disappears

The flashlight itself cannot be deleted; it is part of iOS. When the icon is gone, the button was removed from where you expect it:

From Control Center. On recent iOS versions you can rearrange and remove every control, and it is easy to remove one by accident while editing.
From another page of Control Center. Control Center can have several pages; the flashlight may have moved to one you do not usually see.
From the Lock Screen. On iOS 18 and later, the two buttons at the bottom of the Lock Screen can be swapped for other controls or removed.

If the icon is there but grey, or nothing happens when you tap it, go to the section on a greyed-out flashlight below.

Add the Flashlight back to Control Center

Open Control Center first: swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen, or swipe up from the bottom edge on an iPhone with a Home button.

iOS 18 and later

In Control Center, tap the plus at the top left, or touch and hold an empty area.
Tap Add a Control at the bottom.
Type Flashlight in the search field and tap it. The control appears in the first free space.
Drag it where you want it, then tap an empty area to finish.

Before adding a second one, swipe up and down inside Control Center to check the other pages. If the flashlight is already on a later page, touch and hold it in edit mode and drag it to the first page.

iOS 17 and earlier

Open Settings, Control Center. If Flashlight is under More Controls, tap the green plus next to it. Use the handle on the right to move it up the list.

Flashlight not on the Lock Screen

On iPhones with Face ID, the Lock Screen has two round buttons at the bottom, normally Flashlight on the left and Camera on the right. To turn the light on, press and hold the button until you feel a tap; a quick touch does nothing.

On iOS 18 and later, these buttons can be changed:

Wake the iPhone and unlock it with Face ID, but stay on the Lock Screen.
Touch and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize and choose Lock Screen.
If another control is in the bottom corner, tap the minus on it to remove it.
Tap the plus in the empty corner, search for Flashlight and tap it.
Tap Done.

On iOS 17 and earlier the two Lock Screen buttons are fixed. iPhones with a Home button, such as the iPhone SE, do not have a Lock Screen flashlight button; use Control Center instead.

Other ways to turn on the flashlight

Siri: say “Turn on the flashlight” or “Turn off the flashlight”. This works when the icon is missing.
Action button: on iPhones that have one (iPhone 15 Pro and later models, including the iPhone 16e), open Settings, Action Button and swipe to Flashlight. Press and hold the Action button to switch the light on or off.
Back Tap: Settings, Accessibility, Touch, Back Tap. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, then Flashlight if it is listed, or a shortcut you made with the Shortcuts app’s Set Flashlight action.

Flashlight greyed out or not working

A grey flashlight button means iOS has switched the light off for a reason. Work through these in order:

Close the camera. The flashlight and the camera share the same LED. While the Camera app, a video call or any app is using the camera, the Flashlight control may not respond. Close those apps from the App Switcher and try again.
Let it cool down. If the iPhone is hot, after charging in the sun or long video recording, iOS disables the flash until it cools. A warning may appear in the Camera app.
Charge it. With a very low battery the flashlight may not be available. Low Power Mode on its own does not turn the flashlight off.
Restart the iPhone. This clears a stuck control.
Check the lens area. A case, sticker or dirt over the LED next to the cameras can block the light.
Update iOS. Settings, General, Software Update.
Test the LED. In the Camera app, switch to Video, set the flash to on and start recording. If the light still does not come on, the LED may be faulty; contact Apple Support or an authorized repair provider.

Change the flashlight brightness

Turn the flashlight on in Control Center, then touch and hold the Flashlight control. A tall slider appears: drag up for brighter, down for dimmer. The iPhone remembers the level for next time. A dimmer setting is often easier when reading a shiny label or looking at something close up, and it uses less battery.

Using the light to read or magnify

If you want the light to read small print, the flashlight alone is often too harsh. Apple’s Magnifier app has its own flashlight switch, and a magnifier app can keep the light on while you zoom: in LoupeLens you can dim it to cut glare. Reading text in dim light covers angles and glare in more detail, and if Magnifier has also vanished, see Magnifier missing on iPhone.