How To Enable LED Flash Notifications On IPhone And IPad Pro

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How to Enable LED Flash Notifications on iPhone and iPad ProMonday June 8, 2020 2:25 PM PDT by Tim Hardwick

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.

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.

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.

43 comments

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Top Rated Comments

Ttanoanian75 months agosuper annoying to anyone else in the room...Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)NNimrad75 months agoBe 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)JPack75 months agoWhat... year is this?This has been a feature since iPhone 5 at least.Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)Sswingerofbirch75 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)SSuperCachetes75 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)ghostface14775 months agoSince 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)Read All Comments

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