6 Hacks For Your iPhone Flashlight You Never Knew Existed

iphone flashlight

Odds are you’ve woken up in the middle  of the night and used your iPhone flashlight to find your way to the bathroom. But your iPhone flashlight brings more to the table than discreetly navigating the dark to avoid startling your dog at 3AM. 

There’s several tips and tricks to using your iPhone flashlight that remain unmentioned despite the saturated use of smartphones across the globe. Here’s 7 hacks to make the most of your iPhone flashlight. 

Quick Takeaways

- Your iPhone flashlight is equipped with up to 50 lumens of light, which is equivalent to the brightness of 50 candles
- Understanding how to adjust your smartphone flashlight’s brightnessis key to making the most of its ability
- A compact, everyday carry flashlight provides most benefits offered by your iPhone flashlight in addition to amplified brightness, battery life and durability 

When you’ve run into an unexpected situation that requires some extra light, there’s several ways your iPhone flashlight can save the day.

iPhone Flashlights 101

If you’re an Apple iPhone user, then you probably know that the LED flash on your phone doubles as a flashlight. To fully benefit from this feature, it’s important to understand the nature of your unit. 

Your smartphone flashlight produces up to 50 lumens of light. Typically, one lumen of light is equivalent to the brightness of one candle. In this case, your iPhone flashlight can be as bright as 50 candles. 

Conveniently, your iPhone lets you adjust the brightness of your flashlight in case you don’t need to use its full 50 lumens. 

To do so, swipe down from the top right corner to invoke the Control Center. Tap and hold the flashlight icon to reveal the brightness adjustment menu. Then, slide the scale up or down to find your desired brightness.

how to dim or brighten iPhone flashlight

Image Source: 9to5mac.com

Knowing the level of brightness your iPhone can achieve and how to adjust it is key to making the most of its ability. 

6 Ways to Use Your iPhone Flashlight 

Learning and practicing the flashlight hacks below will put you in a better position to conquer a variety of situations.

Lantern 

Did you know you can turn your iPhone flashlight into a lantern? Simply place a clear, filled water bottle or water jug over your smartphone’s light. The liquid will magnify the light’s effect and better illuminate your surroundings. 

iphone flashlight lantern

Image Source: Youtube - Koodo

This trick is great when you need extra light in a pinch during a power outage or your annual family camping trip. If you need more than one DIY lantern, grab your nearest EDC flashlight!

Projector 

With the iPhone LED light, you can project images onto a wall. Place your iPhone’s light behind any transparency film and enjoy the makeshift projected image before your eyes. 

Use this trick when you come across old film in your grandpa’s basement but don’t see value in splurging on a new projector.

Notifications 

Set up your smartphone to flash a beam of light when you receive a text, email, phone call or social media notification. Simply go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Hearing and select “LED flash” for Alerts.

If you prefer to see your iPhone notifications instead of hearing them, this one’s for you. 

Signaling 

In the event of an emergency, you can use your iPhone flashlight as an SOS signal if you don’t have a high-lumen EDC torch. 

The international SOS signal consists of three short/three long/three short flashes of light. Make sure your brightness is set at its highest ability and repeat this code with your smartphone’s light to signal for help.

Find Lost Items 

When something is dropped on the floor and can’t be found, everyone’s first instinct is to point their light down toward the floor. Instead, place the side of your flashlight on the floor and point it toward the area where you lost your item.

The light’s angle will cast a shadow on items on the ground, no matter how small, making it much easier to see.

Spot Broken Glass

When you’ve broken glassware on your kitchen floor, it can be tricky to collect all the pieces. Fortunately, shining your iPhone flashlight onto the floor can greatly help in this situation.

Your smartphone’s light will reflect off of the tiny, transparent pieces and cause them to sparkle, making the broken glass much easier to see and collect. 

The Truth About Your iPhone Flashlight

Besides being convenient, there aren’t any other notable advantages to deeming your iPhone as your main source of portable light. However, you should be aware of several disadvantages accompanied by the light on your smartphone despite its variety of uses.

Limited Lumens

In many cases, more brightness is better. If you’re signaling for rescue or need to see detail in dark conditions, you’re better off with more than the maximum of 50 lumens offered by your smartphone. Limited Lifespan As an iPhone user, you’ve likely encountered the panic associated with the dreaded “low-battery” symbol. In an emergency situation, this panic will only be amplified.

Constant or prolonged use of the iPhone flashlight will quickly drain your battery and leave you stranded without a source of light. It’s recommended to reserve your smartphone battery for phone calls, navigation and emergency situations where light is needed.

Minimal Durability 

If you’ve ever experienced a shattered screen or water damage to your smartphone, then this comes as no surprise.

If you’re just using your iPhone flashlight to find its charger, then you won’t need to worry about how resistant it is to liquid and impact. However, if you find yourself in an emergency situation, you’ll be much safer with an everyday carry (EDC) flashlight. 

Fenix E35 V3.0 EDC Flashlight

With an EDC flashlight, you’ll receive the same benefits offered by your iPhone flashlight in addition to amplified brightness, battery life and durability. With an EDC flashlight, breaking glass or employing self-defense in an emergency is much safer, easier and more reliable.

Shine Your Light 

These iPhone flashlight techniques can make for better use of your existing resources and a more enjoyable experience. 

Don’t let your flashlight be a single-use tool! For more tips on making the most of your light, visit fenix-store.com today.