Apple Watch Flashlight: How to Turn It On, Turn It Off & Adjust It (watchOS 8 Update)

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It’s a flashlight attached to your wrist. Handy, right? With a brightness level that can help guide you even when your iPhone isn’t around, the flashlight on the Apple Watch is easy to access and adjust once you know where it’s located. We’ll show you how to find the Apple Watch flashlight, how to turn it on and off, and how to adjust it for different situations.

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Why You’ll Love This Tip

Use the Apple Watch’s traditional full-brightness white light to help you find your way in the dark.
Change your Apple Watch flashlight to flashing white for nighttime bike rides.
Use the red light to save Apple Watch battery or to avoid disturbing wildlife during walks in the wilderness.

How to Use the Apple Watch Flashlight

The flashlight is located in the Apple Watch Control Center, so it’s easy to access on the go. To learn more about Apple Watch features, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter. Here’s how to use the flashlight on your Apple Watch:

Open the Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of your Apple Watch Screen.
Select the Flashlight icon. You may have to scroll down to find it.
The flashlight will come on, but while your watch screen is facing you it’ll be dimmer. When you turn the watch face away from you, it’ll brighten automatically.
To switch to the flashing light, swipe left once. This is useful for emergency situations and for making you more visible when exercising outdoors at night.
To switch to the red light, swipe left again. This is useful for when you will need to use the flashlight for a longer time. The red light gives you some guidance without preventing your eyes from adjusting to the dark. It’s also a more animal-friendly light for use when camping or hiking around wildlife.
To turn off the flashlight from any setting, swipe down from the top of the screen.