If you work in a loud environment like a construction site, or if you are hearing impaired, a vibrating phone in your pocket or a ringing tone might not be enough to alert you to an incoming call or text message.
To provide a highly aggressive, purely visual notification, Apple included an Accessibility feature that hijacks the camera hardware on the back of your iPhone. When enabled, your iPhone will rapidly strobe its incredibly bright LED camera flash every time you receive a notification.
How to Enable LED Flash for Alerts
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
- Under the “Hearing” section, tap on Audio/Visual.
- Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to the “Visual” section.
- Tap on LED Flash for Alerts.
- Toggle the master switch labeled LED Flash for Alerts to the On (green) position.
Configuring the Flash Behavior
Once the master switch is enabled, you will see two additional sub-settings that allow you to dictate exactly when the flash is allowed to fire.
- Flash While Unlocked: By default, this is toggled off. If you toggle it on, your phone will flash the LED even if you are actively holding it and looking at the screen. Most users leave this off to save battery, as you do not need a visual flash alert if you are already staring at the display.
- Flash in Silent Mode: This is the most crucial setting. If you toggle this on, the LED will continue to strobe brightly even when you have flipped the physical mute switch on the side of your iPhone. This allows you to silence the audible ringer in a meeting room while still maintaining a powerful visual alert for incoming calls.
Warning: Do not place your iPhone face down on a glass table during a dinner date with this feature enabled, as the strobe effect is shockingly bright and highly distracting to anyone sitting nearby.