reviewed in August 2023
The iPhone is used nowadays not only for making calls but also for photo/video shooting. In dark rooms or at night the use of the iPhone camera flash makes sense.
In this article, we would like to see how the camera app and camera flash work in iPhone 12.

How to Turn on the iPhone Camera Flash in Photo Mode?
Open your Camera app, you’ll see a viewfinder and some controls at the top and bottom of the iphone screen. You can find the flash button (lightning bolt icon) in the top left corner of the screen. This feature is almost devoid of settings and is built-in on iOS phones.
Normally there are three modes of the iPhone camera flash:
Off/Disable flash: The flash is turned off. The camera will shoot normally without the use of auxiliary light.
Auto Mode/enable auto flash: The iPhone controls the use of the flash based on the lighting conditions.
On/Enabling simple flash: The flash is always on, no matter how bright the light is.
On the newer iPhones, this flash icon only switches between off and auto modes. There is no on mode.
When shooting a video, follow the same steps (1-3) to adjust the flash.
You can also turn on the auxiliary light using apps downloaded from the official App Store. They usually contain additional settings that cannot be found in the standard iPhone camera.

iPhone Flashlight Notification
You can activate this function in different ways. For example, using the standard control center of the iOS system or using third-party applications to enable and configure the flash and flashlight on the iPhone. It all depends on exactly what tasks it is supposed to perform.
How Does the iPhone Camera Flash Work?
The flash-on-call feature was originally designed for people with disabilities. Apple is trying the best possible way to adapt the devices and their functionality to the relevant restrictions. But such universal access features have become a common property: they also appeal to healthy people who use iPhones and iPads.
With the default settings, incoming calls and alerts on the iPhone are accompanied by a polyphonic ring and vibration, which is created by a built-in phone motor.
Owners of smartphones can choose their own melodies, and select the vibration individually for contacts in the control center. This is enough for most users, but you can also enable led flash alerts for incoming calls.
The ability to turn on the light signal during a call appeared only with iOS version 5. However, many people have not heard about it for a long time. The light turns on and flashes when you make a call. The flash notification on iPhone is also supported.
Developers have not removed this feature to this day because they believe it is in demand. Many smartphones have flash notification indicators. Usually, they are not conspicuous, but Apple developers decided to make this feature bright on their products.
Despite the benefit, this feature soon begins to irritate many. And then users ask themselves the diametrically opposite question, how to turn off the flash during calls.
Reducing the brightness of the LED does not work. The only solution to the problem would be to turn off the led flash on calls.

How to use iPhone Flashlight with Back Tap Feature?
- Open the settings app
- Go to Accessibility, then Touch
- Go down and tap Back Tap settings
- Add the Flashlight to Double tap or to Triple tap Option
Now you can use camera flash with iPhone Back Tap Feature without unlocking the Phone.
iPhone Flashlight Features
All models of smartphones at the moment are equipped with backlighting on the back panel. The main task is considered to set the lighting for photo and video shooting. But it can also be set to blink as a warning of a call.
This Function is not only for photo and video mode. LED flash alerts can notify you about incoming calls and messages. Such a useful feature will allow you to learn about notifications even if the owner has problems with hearing or has put his phone on silent.

When is this function helpful?
This feature in the control center is necessary in the following cases:
- if you cannot miss calls, messages, or notifications in messengers and social networks on the lock screen;
- to draw attention to notifications and calls in a loud environment: at work and at leisure in noisy places;
- when you have to turn off the sound and vibration, but may receive an important call on the lock screen;
- use in conjunction with an alarm clock to make it easier to wake up.
This feature is found not only on iPhones but also on Android. To do this, you need to carefully study the settings of your smartphone.
How to turn the led flash notification on iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, iPhone XS on when calling
If the ringtone and vibration are no longer enough to keep track of what’s happening on your smartphone, you can activate an additional option: led flash for alerts..
This will be quite handy because when your phone isn’t around and you can’t physically hear it, the flashing flash will come in handy.
Here’s how you can turn it on:
- go to Settings and open Universal Access;
- swipe to Hearing and locate Audio Visualization;
- activate the Led flash for alerts (the Silent mode option will appear, but it’s up to you).

How to set an led flash on your iPhones front camera?
Wondering how to put a flash on your iPhone’s front camera? The iPhone 6s and newer have a front camera flash that will illuminate your face during selfies. Setting it up is just as easy.
- Open the Camera app.
- Switch to the front camera.
- Tap the lightning flashlight icon at the top of the screen and select one of the options.

Triggering the Flash as iPhone 12 Flash
The flash can be either an instant flash or a constant flash. The latter is called a flashlight and is turned on through iOS built-in tools or by using a third-party app from the App Store.
By downloading this app, the user gets the same flashlight, but with extended functionality. You can change the brightness and configure special modes, such as its flashing.
- After opening the app, click the flash icon in the middle – the led flash will activate and will burn continuously.
- The next scale adjusts the brightness of the light.
- The “Color” button changes the color of the flashlight, but this feature does not work on all models, be careful.
- Tapping the “Morse” button takes the user to a special window where the desired text can be entered and the app will start broadcasting the text using Morse code, using the flashlight flashes.
- If necessary, you can activate SOS mode and the flashlight will flash quickly.

Standard iPhone Flashlight Icon
The standard flashlight icon in the iPhone differs in different versions of iOS.
For example, starting with iOS 11, it got a brightness adjustment feature, which wasn’t there before. But the activation itself is not particularly different, so the following steps should be taken:
- Open the quick access bar by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen. You can do this either on a locked screen or by unlocking the device with your fingerprint or password.
- Tap the flashlight icon and it will turn on the flashlight.

Does the iPhone 12 has Night Vision
On supported iPhone models, you can use night vision mode to take photos when the camera detects low light. You can use night vision mode on iphone 13 vs iphone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Why Doesn’t the Flashlight Work on Your iPhone
Reboot your iPhone.
Turning your iPhone off and on again can update the software and restore the flashlight to work. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button on your iPhone until the option “Slide to Shut Down” appears and turn the phone off or perform a forced restart.

A Few Setup Warnings
The feature will work when the phone is locked or in sleep mode. For the new functionality to take effect, you need to reboot your device. This is especially true for older iPhones.
It’s worth remembering that you can see the led flash for alertser only if the smartphone is lying with the lock screen down. The indicator should work in the following situations:
- if the silent mode is on;
- in case the vibration is turned off;
- If the ringer switch on the side of the phone is off.
Visual alerts work better in combination with vibration, presented by the system as default settings.
However, this type of indication should also work well as the only source of alerts, since it is intended as an additional option for hearing-impaired people.

Up until version 10, there were serious flaws associated with the fact that additional applications were used to force the LED flash icon on.
Conclusion
iPhone owners who know how to enable flash for alerts when calling, use this feature on a regular basis. It is not necessary for everyone, but it can come in handy in certain situations when the phone will not be heard. Flashing will allow you to quickly understand that someone has started calling or just sent a message.