Fix: iOS 16 / iOS 16.6 Flashlight Not Working or Greyed Out

The latest iOS 16 update brought several changes to the UI, and many jumped on board to install the new update as soon as it was available. But not every user with iOS16 has a pleasant experience. Some iOS 16 users have reported facing problems with the flashlight.

For some users, the flashlight toggle inside the Control Center is greyed out, while for some others, the LED light is not turning on at all. Well, whatever the case for you, we have covered you. If you are one of the troubled users, this article will help you. Here, we have listed all the solutions you can try to fix the Flashlight issue on your iOS 16. So without any further ado, let’s get into it.

How to Fix Flashlight Not Working or Greyed out on iOS 16?

We will start with some essential solutions and then gradually move on to the complex ones. Try one solution after the other until you find the one that works for you.

Remove any phone case or cover:

Most of us use covers and cases to protect our smartphones from falls and scratches. You won’t face any issues using compatible or official cases or covers. But the ones that are not compatible often interrupt the phone’s sensors and hardware components. So there is a chance that the case you are using(if it is incompatible) might be blocking or causing a hindrance to your LED flash. So try removing your case entirely and check whether the flashlight works appropriately after that or not.

If removing the case does not help you, try the next solution.

Restart your iPhone:

The following simple fix that you can try is a restart. Most software issues can be fixed with a single restart of most electronic devices. And the iPhone is no exception. You can try the restart option even with the iPhone’s flashlight issue. For this, go to Settings and navigate to General. Then select the option Shut down. Then drag the slider to the right to turn off your smartphone. Now wait 30 seconds and then press the power button on the side to turn on your device again.

Try the next solution if the restart does not help with the flashlight.

Force Quit the Camera application:

The camera app uses the LED flashlight present on the back of your smartphone while clicking pictures or making videos. And if you have the camera app running on your iPhone, the flashlight icon in the control center will appear greyed out. This is because both the camera app and the flashlight cannot use the same resource simultaneously. So to fix this, you need to clear the camera app from your recent or open apps section.

So open up the recent apps section by pulling up from the bottom of the screen to o and remove the camera app from the recent apps list. After that, try using the flashlight on your iPhone. If it still does not work correctly, try the next solution.

Remove the flashlight from the control center:

One potential solution that might fix your flashlight issue with the iPhone is to remove the flashlight icon from the control center and then re-adding it. To do this,

• Open up Settings on your iPhone.
• Go to Control Center.
• Under the included controls section, find the Flashlight option and tap on the minus(-) option next to it.
• Tap on the remove button to confirm your action.
• To add it again, scroll down to the button and select the More Controls section.
• Here, tap on the Add option next to the flashlight.
• You will see the option to drag and place the flashlight icon in any position in the control center.
• Once you are happy with your selection, drag and down the icon in that place.

Now try using the flashlight via the control center again. If it still does not work, try the next solution.

Use a third-party flashlight application:

Several third-party applications on the Apple App Store do the same function as the flashlight toggle on your Control Center. If none of the above solutions worked for you, you should also try this.

Just search for the flashlight in the App Store and download any application that fits your needs. If you cannot get the flashlight to work with the third-party application, try the next solution mentioned below.

Use the flashlight via your camera application:

The camera application of your iPhone can turn on or off the flashlight by tapping on the flashlight icon in the camera menu. Try using that a few times and see whether the flashlight icon responds. If it responds to it well, you should be able to use the flashlight issue without any issues. But if you are still stuck with a non-functional flashlight, try the next solution mentioned below.

Turn off low power mode:

The low power mode of your iPhone minimizes the use of resources on your phone to maximize the available battery life. But this can work against you with the flashlight feature as the flashlight does not work if the low power mode on your iPhone is turned on. To fix this, you need to disable the low-power mode of your iPhone.

To turn off the Low Power mode, go to the settings app on your smartphone and select battery. Then tap on the toggle next to Low Power Mode to turn it off. Once it is turned off, try using the flashlight again. If it still does not work, try the next solution.

Change Flashlight brightness:

iOS 16 has a setting that lets you adjust the intensity of your flashlight. If the intensity is set to a deficient level, you will have trouble using it usually as a meager amount of light might not be enough to fill your requirement. So to adjust the brightness of your flashlight, swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open p the Control Center. Here, tap and hold the flashlight icon, and you will see a slider. Set the slider to a high value by dragging it to the right. It is best if you drag it to the extreme right possible.

Once you have set the intensity high, try toggling on the flashlight from the control center. If it still does not work correctly, try the next solution.

Charge your iPhone:

Check the battery percentage on your iPhone. If it is at an insufficient number, the lower power or battery saver mode will be turned on by default. If your iPhone does not have enough power, it cannot turn on the flashlight at all. So, in this case, you need to charge up your iPhone. Just connect your iPhone to the charger and keep it like that till it is charged up correctly to a decent level. Once you have enough battery, try using the flashlight again, it should work.

If, for some reason, you still cannot get the flashlight working, try the next solution.

Check the phone’s temperature:

Overheating your iPhone may occur when you extensively use it for different apps or games. Overheating may arise even when you use the device under direct sunlight for a long time. In case of overheating, the device turns off most of its resources to get the temperature back to a decent level. You might also witness a dip in performance when the phone is overheated.

So if you witness your phone’s temperature higher than usual, refrain from using it for a while. Once the temperature goes back to normal, try using the flashlight again. If you still encounter issues, try the next solution.

Force restart your iPhone:

As mentioned above, a restart can fix most issues with a device. But with the flashlight issue, a simple restart might not be enough. You might need to force restart your iPhone and see whether that solves your problem. To force restart the iPhone, press and release the volume up button and then press and release the volume down button. Now, press the side button until you see the Apple logo on your screen. This will force the restart of the iPhone.

Try using the flashlight feature after the force restart. If it still does not work, try the next solution.

Update your iOS:

If you are one of those users who installed the latest version of iOS 16 right when it was available, then there is a chance that you are using a buggy build. The first build of a new update is mainly filled with bugs that make the device malfunction in most scenarios.

To address this, Apple will release new updates that clear out the bugs in the previous build. So, if you have not updated your iPhone after the initial iOS 16 update, it is time to check for new updates immediately.

To check for a new iOS update, open up Settings on your iPhone and go to General. Then select Software Update, and if there is a pending update, it will show up here. If you see a new pending update, install it on your phone.

After the update, if you still encounter the flashlight issue, try the next solution.

Reset phone settings:

iOS 16 comes with an option to reset all Settings. This will reset all your phone’s settings to their default value, as when you first bought your new iPhone. Performing a settings reset can clear out several conflicts within the Settings menu that might be blocking your iPhone’s flashlight feature.

Resetting settings will clear out everything from your Settings menu, though. This includes saved Wifi and Bluetooth connections as well. So perform settings reset only if you are willing to delete every saved connection on your iPhone.

To reset settings, open up Settings on your phone and go to General. Then tap on the Transfer or Reset iPhone option. Then select Reset and choose the Reset All Settings option. You will have to confirm your action by tapping on the Reset button on the confirmation page.

After this, your phone will restart on its own. After the restart, if you still encounter the flashlight issue, try the next solution.

Factor reset your iPhone:

After the settings reset, you can also try the factory reset option. This will clear every bit of data on your phone, though. So you need to create a backup of everything necessary to you and perform the factory reset.

To perform the factory reset, open up Settings on your phone and go to General. Then tap on the Transfer or Reset iPhone option. Then select the Erase All Content and Settings option and the Reset All Settings option. You must confirm your action by tapping the Reset button on the confirmation page.

If the iOS 16 flashlight continues to give you trouble after factory resetting your iPhone, try the next solution.

Get Apple’s help:

If none of the solutions mentioned above worked for you, then there is a chance that the issue is related to your phone’s hardware. So to fix this, you will have to take your iPhone to the nearest service center and ask for their help. Inform them about your problem in detail, and they should be able to help you. If your device is under warranty, you should be able to resolve your issue without any issues.

So these are all the solutions to fix the flashlight not working or greyed out on the iOS 16 issue. If you have any questions or queries about this article, comment below, and we will get back to you. Also, check out our other articles on iPhone tips and tricks, Android tips and tricks, PC tips and tricks, and much more for more helpful information.