Unlike some Android phones, Apple's iPhones don't have a dedicated notification LED that lights up when you get a call, text, or other alert. What iPhones do include is an optional Accessibility feature for the deaf and hard of hearing that blinks the rear camera flash and provides a visual cue for incoming notifications.

2020 iphone se camera red
Even if your hearing is fine, having a visual cue for incoming alerts can be handy to have if, say, you're in a quiet environment and don't want to disturb the peace. An LED flash notification can be useful when your iPhone or iPad is lying on a table with vibration alerts off, for instance.

Follow the steps below to turn on LED flash alerts on your ‌iPhone‌ or iPad Pro. Just remember to leave your iOS device locked with the screen down and the rear camera system in your line of sight.

led flash iPhone

  1. Launch the Settings app on your device.
  2. Tap Accessibility.
  3. Turn on LED Flash for Alerts using the toggle switch.
  4. Turn on Flash on Silent if you only want LED flash alerts when your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad Pro‌ is silenced.

Note that the LED Flash for Alerts option only works on ‌iPad Pro‌ 2016 or later models, but is compatible with all iPhones that have a rear flash feature.

Top Rated Comments

tanoanian Avatar
62 months ago
super annoying to anyone else in the room...
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nimrad Avatar
62 months ago
Be careful. I ended up being a very weird guy when sitting just opposite of a cute girl on the train due to this. You do not wanna have to explain this.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
62 months ago
What... year is this?

This has been a feature since iPhone 5 at least.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swingerofbirch Avatar
62 months ago

Since my phone is always face up, I would never notice it. Apple perhaps could put a front flash instead of lighting up the screen. However I really doubt they'll add more to the front camera display.
I use a clear case with my iPhone 7. The clear case amplifies the flash and you definitely see it light up around the phone. Kind of a cool effect.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SuperCachetes Avatar
62 months ago
Even if your hearing is fine, having a visual cue for incoming alerts can be handy to have if, say, you're in a quiet environment and don't want to disturb the peace.
In my experience, this still disturbs all kinds of peace unless, say, your quiet environment is occupied by blind people. A camera flash is a pretty aggressive notifier.

My pre-iPhone devices had little LEDs in the cases that would be green to show they were on, and orange to show there was a notification, for example. The room would have to basically be dark for anyone to be annoyed by this. I get that orange and green LEDs are just too garish and un-color-coordinated for Apple, but how about a cute little white LED that doesn't even glow unless there's a notification, similar to the power/sleep indicator on the old MBPs?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
62 months ago
Since my phone is always face up, I would never notice it. Apple perhaps could put a front flash instead of lighting up the screen. However I really doubt they'll add more to the front camera display.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...