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Infrared Lights Always Flashing + Face ID

My iPhone 11Pro constantly sends out flashing infrared lights, in addition to a radar-like dish of infrared light from the right corner area, which I believe is the flash illuminator for Face ID.


The lights are ‘under‘ the illuminated screen, when on; near the ‘notch’; everywhere. Even when the phone is off. I have Face ID and all associated options off. I have called Apple and chatted with web support. They claim it is a hardware issue and I need to take it to the Genius Bar.


In low light I can see the flash Illuminator light on my iPhone 11 easily. I discovered them because I sensed my phone was odd somehow, and noticing strange patterns and connections based on what I was thinking when I was online. Only thinking. Not talking about.


Can an anyone help me? How can I get the flash illumiator off? It is like my phone has a retractor beam on it. It’s spooky.

Note: my iPhone 8, iPad and mini all had similar flashes when on.

iPhone 11 Pro

Posted on Oct 12, 2019 6:28 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 14, 2019 5:05 AM

Wow. I just wanted to not be flashed by infrared light all the time. I get attacked by you. No one else cares about this? No one else notices it? Clearly I am the only one who can see and has issue with the radar-like IR light.


Now Apple is taking down my posts claiming them to be inappropriate?


I am obviously asking the wrong questions to the wrong people. Your hostility is alarming.


Have a nice day.

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24 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 14, 2019 5:05 AM in response to lobsterghost1

Wow. I just wanted to not be flashed by infrared light all the time. I get attacked by you. No one else cares about this? No one else notices it? Clearly I am the only one who can see and has issue with the radar-like IR light.


Now Apple is taking down my posts claiming them to be inappropriate?


I am obviously asking the wrong questions to the wrong people. Your hostility is alarming.


Have a nice day.

Oct 14, 2019 5:45 AM in response to Cosmicperspectives

Considering there are 0-2 people watching most threads and this one has over 100 I'd say at least someone else

notices something.


Why you are trying to make me out at crazy for being able to see/notice this light is beyond me. Why no one is asking why you can't turn off the flood illuminator baffles me, too. I don't want it on, it bothers me. I see it. You want your faces scanned by IR light constantly tracking you every time you use your phone?


I am not here to argue my point, i was trying to find out more information. This does not seem like the place to do it.


Have a nice day.

Oct 14, 2019 6:24 AM in response to lobsterghost1

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO YELL.


You didn't have to challenge the fact that I can see the light.


Just because most people can't see it does not necessarily mean everyone wants it on all the time. No one can tell me why I can't turn it off. Nor can anyone explain the IR/UV light flashing behind all screens. Strange.


This entire conversation has given me the chills: Apple denied the light/camera existed, you say it's impossible to turn off.


No one can/will tell me why I can't turn the IR light off, which is odd. Time to make the trek to Apple, I guess?


Thank you for your help; it's been informative on many different levels.

As well as interesting.

Oct 12, 2019 1:29 PM in response to lobsterghost1

Why are all of my devices flashing infrared? Why is my iphone flashing infrared when it is off? It is not only my phone. It is not a hardware problem. I can see the light on the new phones under dim light, not just mine.


Why? and why can I not turn it off? Why will no one tell me what that beam is in the photo in the first place? Why all my devices flash infrared?


Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd have to take every device in. They're all dysfunctional? Why is infrared flashing out of all of my ipads and iphones? Why won't the infrared beam on my new phone turn off with FaceID off?


What is going on?


You're not bothered by that photo? That seems normal, to be constantly scanned by infrared?

Oct 13, 2019 2:09 PM in response to lobsterghost1

A patent for an invisible screen? Weird screen scratches in completely normal use? Screen replacements not working if they are not done by Apple? Weird green dots in photos? Unexplained green stripes on screens? Flashing lights behind the screen? Turn any old front facing camera (video works) onto another device, move it a bit for an invisible light show.


Maybe the dots don't connect and it's just a bunch of careless programming, shoddy manufacturing and soft glass.

Oct 13, 2019 3:30 PM in response to Cosmicperspectives

Be insulted then. Where did you say you turned Face ID off? I'm not a mind reader.


You can't turn the IR camera off because Apple doesn't provide the option to turn it off. Yes a camera can record the IR light. ANY camera can see it. Typically, the naked eye cannot.


Weird Green Dots?: Normal and even happens on my over $2,000 Nikon DSLR with a $1500 Lens

Soft Glass?: Not at all. In fact the glass on the new iPhones are harder to break. But the trade off is the glass can be more susceptible to scratches. Put a screen protector on the new phones and never have to worry.


Nothing shoddy going on unless you believe in conspiracy theories. I believe in science and understand what is fact and what is not.


At this point, you need to address your issues with Apple. We can't as users do anything for you.

Oct 14, 2019 4:07 AM in response to lobsterghost1

I did not say it, but I did not come to a community forum to ask until I hit an information roadblock. Do you think I would complain if I hadn’t exhausted all other, logical, solutions?


This is happening to everyone. I cannot use my phone for very long. There is invisible light all over these phones and ipads, flashing behind the screen. The flood illumination on the new phone is easily visible to me, I am by no means superhuman. Seeing that is what sent me down the rabbit hole trying to figure out what was up. Now I notice theIR lights on my other devices, too, but they are just beams of IR light.


The green dots were all over a section of a photo, not normal. Soft means it’s succeptible to scratches, bur less likely to crack, which is why you claimed on another thread why they were scratching. THIS IS NOT A SCREEN PROTECTOR ISSUE.


If you’re so into facts, can you reason why an IR camera is always flashing in your face, even if you turn FaceID off?

Oct 14, 2019 4:41 AM in response to Cosmicperspectives

Cosmicperspectives wrote:

This is happening to everyone.


No, it is not. I don’t see anything at all like what you describe and I have no idea what those pics you posted are supposed to be demonstrating. I use my iPhone XS all the time, everyday. I don’t seen any “flashing lights” and I do not see any infrared from the faceID projection LEDs.


I have never seen anything remotely like what you describe on numerous iPads and iPhones over the last decade. Nor have I seen anyone post seeing such things here in the past, nor has anyone I know with iPhones or iPads ever mentioned seeing any such thing.

Oct 14, 2019 5:23 AM in response to Cosmicperspectives

With 103 views of your post and no one saying they are seeing the same or similar thing, yes, I would say your situation is quite rare if not unique.


Just as the people who experience severe eye strain with LED/LCD screens are quite rare, or the people affected by the AMOLED PWM rate are quite rare, of the billions of iPhone and iPad users, I would have to assume you’re also experiencing some rare vision related effect.


Quite honestly, I highly doubt there is a hardware fix for what sounds much more likely to me to be a medical vision issue. I would strongly suggest seeking a medical doctors advice if you’re seeing this with all those varied devices you mention. That is simply not normal for the vast majority of people.

Oct 14, 2019 5:54 AM in response to Cosmicperspectives

I have not attacked you at all. In fact, I've been generous with my time. You've asked how to turn the IR camera off. And I've told you more than one time you can't. I don't know what you expect from us? You seem to be very unique in having an ability to see IR light. I know no one who can. I agree with Michael. There may be people who find this thread interesting enough to watch, but not one other person has commented they can see IR light, but you.


I also agree you might want to consult a vision specialist.

Infrared Lights Always Flashing + Face ID

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