How do I turn on the flashlight on my Android phone?
Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, then tap the Flashlight tile. On Samsung it may be called Torch, and you may need to swipe sideways to find it. Tap the same tile again to turn the light off. The light comes from the small flash next to the camera on the back.
Steps to check
Open Quick Settings
Swipe down from the very top of the screen. A row of round or square buttons appears. These are your Quick Settings. If you only see a few, swipe down once more to see them all.
- Samsung On newer Galaxy phones (One UI 7 and later), swipe down from the top right of the screen to open the Quick panel. On older ones, swipe down with two fingers.
- Pixel Swipe down from the top once for the first few tiles, and again for all of them.
- Motorola Swipe down from the top of the screen to open quick settings.
Tap Flashlight
Find the tile with a flashlight picture and tap it. The light on the back of the phone turns on and the tile looks brighter. Tap the tile again to turn the light off.
- Samsung The tile is called Flashlight in the US and Torch in some other countries. If you do not see it, swipe left or right inside the Quick panel to see more buttons.
If the tile is missing, add it back
Tiles can be moved or removed by accident. Open the full Quick Settings, tap Edit (a pencil icon), find Flashlight in the list of tiles you can add, and add it. Moving it to the first row makes it easier to reach next time.
- Samsung Open the Quick panel, tap the pencil icon, then Edit. Touch and hold the Flashlight button and drag it where you want it, then tap Done.
Make the light brighter or dimmer (Samsung)
Galaxy phones let you change how bright the flashlight is. Open the Quick panel, then touch and hold the Flashlight button (or tap the word Flashlight under it). Turn the switch on, then drag the slider. The slider stays gray until the light is on.
Use a shortcut if you want one
Some phones have faster ways to turn the light on without opening Quick Settings. These are optional.
- Samsung Settings → Advanced features → Side button → Double press → Flashlight. Then press the Side button twice to turn the light on, even with the screen off, and twice again to turn it off.
- Motorola Make a quick chopping motion with the phone, like chopping with a small axe, to turn the light on or off. To turn this on or off, go to Settings → Gestures → Fast Flashlight, or open the Moto app and tap Gestures. You can also add a flashlight shortcut to the lock screen on some models.
Still not working?
- Take the case off. Samsung notes that a case that does not line up with the camera can cover the flash, even when it fits the phone otherwise.
- Charge the phone for a while. Samsung says that on some models the flashlight will not work when the battery is below 5% or 15%.
- Restart the phone, then try the flashlight again.
- Open the Camera app, set the flash to always on, and take a photo. If the flash fires, the light itself is fine. If it does not, there may be a software or hardware problem.
- Check for a system update, then try the phone in Safe mode. If the light works in Safe mode, an app you installed is getting in the way. See how to turn off Safe mode when you are done.
- If the light turns on by itself on a Motorola phone, you may be making the chop motion without meaning to, for example while walking or putting the phone in a bag. Turn off Fast Flashlight under Settings → Gestures.
Why this happens
There is no separate bulb for the flashlight. Your phone uses the camera flash, the small light next to the camera lenses on the back, and keeps it on.
That is why things that affect the camera flash, like a case covering it or a very low battery, can also stop the flashlight. And because the button lives in Quick Settings, it is easy to lose track of when the tiles get moved around.
Normal vs. not
Usually normal
The back of the phone feels a little warm after the flashlight has been on for a long time, or the Flashlight tile is in a different place after an update.
Worth a closer look
The flash will not light in the Camera app or as a flashlight even after a restart, a charge, and Safe mode. That is worth a check by the phone maker or your carrier.
Common questions
- Can I turn on the flashlight without unlocking my phone?
- Usually yes. On most phones you can swipe down from the top of the lock screen and tap Flashlight. Some Motorola models also let you put a flashlight shortcut on the lock screen.
- Does the flashlight use a lot of battery?
- It uses some power while it is on, so turn it off when you are done.
- Can I ask my phone to turn the flashlight on?
- On Samsung phones, yes. Samsung says you can ask your voice assistant to "Turn on the flashlight". The Quick Settings tile works on every phone, so it is the safest way to remember.
Related questions
Sources we checked
- Change settings quickly on your Android phone (Android Help (Google))
- Use the flashlight on your Galaxy phone (Samsung Support)
- Quickly activate the flashlight on your Samsung Galaxy (Samsung Support (Canada))
- Change the Quick panel icons on your Galaxy phone or tablet (Samsung Support)
- What to do if the flashlight does not work on Samsung Galaxy (in Russian) (Samsung Support (Russia))
- Turn flashlight on and off (motorola edge 2026) (Motorola Help)
Menu names can differ by phone brand and Android version. See our editorial policy for how we check steps.