How to turn flashing light on iphone

Want to see rather than just hear that your iPhone is ringing? You can, with a little help from the iPhone’s camera flash.

In just a few taps, you can set the LED flash for the iPhone’s rear-facing camera to blink anytime a call comes in, whenever a text pops into your message inbox, or for any other iPhone event that would normally set off an alert tone or vibration.

Just flick the “On” switch to turn the iPhone camera flash into an alert light for incoming calls, texts, and more.

It’s a handy feature for iPhone users (particularly hard-of-hearing ones) who can’t rely on audio alerts to screen notifications; keep in mind, though, that you will (of course) have to lay your iPhone face-down to see the camera flash blinking.

Also, you can’t set the camera LED to flash for specific alerts. Instead, it’s an all-or-nothing deal.

Here’s how to do it:

• Go to the iPhone home screen, then tap Settings, General, Accessibility.
• Scroll down until you see the “LED Flash for Alerts” setting, then flick the switch to “On.”
• Test it by asking a friend to call your iPhone—and when they do, the flash on the rear iPhone camera will start blinking in time to the ringer.

Looking for more iPhone tips and tricks? Click here!

Note: This updated and revised tip was first published in March 2012.

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If you don't like hearing a ring, create a flashing light alert instead

Updated on April 25, 2022

What to Know

• On iPhone: Settings > General > Accessibility > turn on LED Flash for Alerts.
• On Android: Settings > Accessibility > Hearing > turn on Flash Notification.

This article explains how to enable settings to make an iPhone or Android phone's camera flash turn on when there's a notification or call. We also provide a list of third-party apps that perform this same function.

How to Set Up Flash Light Notifications on Your Phone

Notifications popping up on your smartphone's screen are designed to get your attention. To make sure you know when you just got a text or missed a call, notifications usually announce their arrival with a sound. That won't work in all cases. You could have your volume turned off, the screen facing away from you, or you might have a hearing impairment that prevents you from hearing the notification.

Did you know that you can make the camera flash light up when your phone is ringing or you've got a notification? That way, you'll know you've got a notification by seeing the light and without relying on sound. Here's what you need to do.

How to Manage Notifications on the iPhone

How to Enable a Notification Light on iPhone

Setting up an iPhone notification light is easy. You need to change one (or, at most, two) settings present on every iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Here's what you need to do:

1. Tap Settings > Accessibility. (In older iOS versions, you'll need to tap General before finding Accessibility settings.)

2. Scroll down to the Hearing section and tap Audio/Visual.

   On older versions of the iOS, skip the Audio/Visual step and instead tap LED Flash for Alerts.

3. Toggle on the LED Flash for Alerts slider. This enables the notification light for all alerts. If you want the notification light to be enabled whenever you set your iPhone to silent mode, move the Flash on Silent slider to on/green.

4. If you decide you don't want the notification light anymore, repeat the first five steps, and then toggle off the LED Flash for Alerts slider.

How to Enable a Notification Light on Android

Enabling flash notifications on Android phones is almost as simple as on the iPhone. Because Android software differs depending on what company makes your smartphone, these instructions won't work on every Android phone. In some cases, you'll follow similar steps using different menus. In other cases, your phone may not have built-in support for flash notifications.

If your phone supports flash notifications, follow these steps to turn them on:

1. Tap Settings (you can also open Settings using Google Assistant).

2. Tap Accessibility.

3. Tap Hearing.

   On phones from some manufacturers, the Flash Notifications option is on the main Accessibility screen. If so, you can skip this step.

4. Tap Flash Notification if it does not automatically appear with slider options.

5. On Android 7.0 and above, you should see two options (Camera Light and Screen). Move the Flash Notifications slider to On. Select one or both by moving the slider(s).

To turn the feature off, repeat the first three steps, and then move the Flash Notifications slider(s) to Off.

Apps that Add Flash Notifications for Android

Not every Android phone offers flash notifications. Support for the feature up to the manufacturer. If you can't find an option for flash notifications in the Accessibility settings on your Android, it may not offer it. Luckily, you should be able to download an app that adds the feature to your phone. A few apps to download include:

• Flash Alerts 2
• Flash Notification 2
• Flash Notification for All
• Flash Notification for All App

FAQ

• Why is my phone not ringing?

  If your phone isn't ringing, check to see if AirPlane mode, Mute, or Do Not Disturb are turned on. If your device is connected to Bluetooth headphones, you might not hear it ring.

• Why am I not getting notifications on my phone?

  To fix notifications on Android, make sure you haven't turned off app and system notifications, then clear the app cache, and turn off Battery Saver. To manage push notifications on iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews or choose an individual app.

• How do I stop my other devices from ringing when I get calls on my iPhone?

Thanks for letting us know!

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