iPhone Flashlight Greyed Out? Here's the Fixes

Using the iPhone's inbuilt flashlight tool is so simple as you just open the Control Center by swiping up on the Home screen and then tap on the flashlight icon to turn the it on or off.

However, that’s not always what happens. Sometimes you may find the iPhone flashlight grayed out, which means you can’t turn the flashlight on or off no matter how many times you tap the icon.

Low power mode, system error, or something else like damage to the iPhone’s flashlight could cause this to happen. If you’re having the same problem, this post will help you.

Below, we’ll let you know some of the most common reasons why you’re having the iPhone flashlight button grayed out and then list several practical solutions that can help you fix it. Let’s get into it.

Why Is My Flashlight Button Greyed Out on My iPhone?

There could be many possible causes behind the iPhone flashlight greyed issue. As such, the best way to solve it is to understand what’s really causing it to happen in the first place. Some of the potential reasons that often lead to this flashlight icon grayed out iPhone problem include:

• The camera is in use - the flashlight icon usually grays out whenever the camera app is in use. This happens since the flash will certainly conflict with the iPhone flashlight.
• Using your iPhone for a long time - if you use your iPhone’s apps continuously for a long time, some apps could get glitches that could cause the flashlight to gray out.
• The Low Power mode is turned on - in some cases, you may be having your iPhone flashlight button grayed out because the low power mode is on.
• System error - there could be a bug or error with your iPhone’s OS that’s stopping it or the flashlight tool from working effectively.
• Damaged iPhone’s flashlight - damage to the flashlight on your iPhone could also stop it from working.

One of these reasons could be behind this flashlight button grayed out iPhone issue you’re facing and it’ll basically stop you from using the flashlight tool whenever you need it. To fix it, try the following steps.

1. Force Quit the Camera App

As mentioned earlier, you would often encounter the flashlight grayed out iPhone problem when you have the camera app running. If that’s the case, then it’s easy to solve this as it’s just a matter of closing the camera app. The process of closing the app may vary, though, depending on the iPhone model:

If it’s an iPhone with Face ID:

• First, open the App Launcher by heading to the Home screen and swiping up from the bottom, stopping at the middle.
• Find the camera app you intend to close by scrolling left or right.
• Now close the app by swiping it up.

If it’s iPhone 8, SE (1st generation), or earlier model:

• First, launch the most recently used apps by double-clicking the Home button.
• Locate the app you intend to close by scrolling left or right.
• Close the app by swiping it up.

2. Close All Apps and Restart Your iPhone

Several programs that run on your iPhone could be accessing the camera simultaneously in the background. This is probably what’s causing the flashlight icon grayed out iPhone issue. The solution is to close all the apps and then restart the iPhone.

3. Disable Low Power Mode

If the first two solutions failed to work, don’t be disappointed. What you should do next is to check whether your iPhone is running in the low power mode. If it is, then disable the mode. You may also want to charge your iPhone as this may as well help it use the flashlight more effectively in case the button is grayed out.

4. Turn Off LED Flash for Alerts

Disabling LED flash notifications is another method that has worked for many iPhone users when it comes to fixing this flashlight icon grayed out iPhone issue. So, give it a try by:

• Opening your device’s Settings app and tapping the Accessibility option.
• Choose the Audio/Visual option.
• Navigate down to the LED Flash for Alerts option and turn the feature off.

5. Force Restart The iPhone

It’s possible that you’re getting this flashlight button grayed out iPhone error because your device is experiencing a minor operational issue. You can easily fix this, though, by forcefully restarting your iPhone. How you do that will depend on your iPhone’s model.

If it’s iPhone 8 or SE (2nd gen), use the Volume buttons;

• Press the Volume Up button and release it quickly.
• Then press the Volume Down button and release it quickly.
• Head to the Side button, press and hold it until the Apple logo appears.

If it’s iPhone 7/7 Plus;

• Start by pressing and holding the Power button together with the Volume Down button.
• Release the two buttons when you see the Apple logo.

If it’s iPhone 6S, SE (1st gen), or an earlier mode;

• Simply press and hold the phone’s Home button together with the Power button till the Apple logo emerges.

Once you perform these steps on your iPhone, it will reboot. In case the flashlight fails to work and the issue is still not fixed, try the next method.

6. Update iOS to the Latest Version

Ensuring your iPhone’s iOS is always up to date is very essential. Frequent errors like the iPhone flashlight button grayed out are bound to occur in your device if the iOS is outdated. There are several ways you can download and install the latest iOS for your iPhone.

The simplest way is:

• Launching the Settings app.
• Opening the General option and then tapping on Software Update.
• From there, you just tap on Download and Install if a new version is available.

Updating using a computer:

Using iTunes software on your computer, you can as well download the latest iOS version for your iPhone. You just connect the phone to the computer, open iTunes and tap the Devices tab. From there, you choose the update option right below the Summary and the firmware file will be downloaded and installed.

7. Try an iOS System Repair Tool

If you’re still having the flashlight icon grayed out on your iPhone even after trying every method above, then it’s likely that your device has a system problem. In this case, the best advice we would give you is to use FoneGeek iOS System Recovery as it’s able to resolve the problem completely. It is a powerful, all-in-one tool for fixing all kinds of iOS system issues you may be experiencing. It’s highly reliable and simple to use. Just follow these steps:

• Download the iOS repair tool onto your computer from FoneGeek official website. Run the program and from the home interface, click on “Standard Repair”.

• Get your device connected to the computer. Once the program identifies the phone, click “Next” to continue.

• Now, you have to download the appropriate firmware file for your device. To do that, click the ”Download” button.

• When the firmware file gets downloaded, hit “Fix Now”. The program will immediately start the system recovery process on your computer.

After your iOS issue gets fixed, the iPhone will reboot automatically.

Conclusion

The iPhone flashlight grayed out issue can be frustrating, but it’s easy to fix. If after trying all the solutions we’ve provided, you still have the same problem, then it’s highly likely that the cause could be related to your device’s hardware.

The way to fix this is to take the iPhone to any nearest service center within your area and let them know your problem in detail. They’ll help you out. We also recommend you get Apple’s help if the phone is still under warranty. They will be able to fix the problem without any issues if the cause is something to do with the hardware.