How to remove flashlight from Lock Screen

Question

Level 1

11 points

How to remove flashlight from Lock Screen

Is it possible to remove the flashlight from the lock screen on an iPhone . I see online suggestions like turn off "raise to wake" or turn off "tap to wake" . These are methods to assist in preventing from inadvertent turning on the flashlight. These suggestions are based on the premise that the screen is being tapped (or equivalent) while the phone is in your pocket. I don't want to turn of raise to wake or tap to wake ... as I like the functionality that both provide . I'm not convinced , either that this will resolve my issue as I have been paying great attention to where I tap the screen for "tap to wake" and have been totally avoiding the lower left quadrant of the screen where the flashlight bottom is located. I just simply want to remove the flashlight button from the Lock Screen. I suspect this is a hard coded function of iOS and cannot be removed.

iPhone XR

Posted on Dec 10, 2022 6:19 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

markmcak2

Level 1

8 points

Jan 14, 2023 10:04 AM in response to Demo

If the flashlight on the lockscreen is hardcoded, then the code needs to be rewritten. This is a huge security issue. If a phone is stolen the battery can be run down quicky thereby making it impossible to find the device.

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Answer 2

Rowdalton Author

Level 1

11 points

Dec 11, 2022 5:42 AM in response to Rowdalton

If batteries are dying because people are inadvertentIy and unknowingly activating the flashlight button on locked screen , then the button should be removed or , at least, removable by the user. To suggest turning off “other functionality” to reduce inherent (supposed) risks should never really be an approach by the developer. Maybe, at most, it could be a quick fix while they look for a more permanent solution.

Another note for people who are finding their flashlight has turned on for no apparent reason …. Nowhere have I seen this possibility discussed....

It is possible to configure your phone to turn on the flashlight using “ back-tap” feature under settings accessibility menu. In my case this was the source of my problem. Eg. the flashlight being turned on because the phone was detecting “back taps” while in my pocket ( as opposed to being tapped on the front glass where the flashlight button is located). In this case the user has the ability to configure the functionality so if it’s causing problems then just turn it off.

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Answer 3

Kurt Lang

Level 9

57,716 points

Jan 14, 2023 1:39 PM in response to markmcak2

It can't be made difficult as there isn't an option to disable turning the phone off. You don't need to know the passcode or anything else to do that. Just hold down the appropriate button(s) and turn it off when the slider appears.

Thieves can also place the phone in a Faraday bag, or take out the SIM card (if the phone isn't using an eSIM). All three options are much faster than waiting for the flashlight to discharge the battery.

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Answer 4

Demo

Level 10

166,476 points

Dec 11, 2022 6:31 AM in response to Rowdalton

Using the back tap feature is set up and initiated by the user. It is not the default setting.

If you would like to leave feedback for Apple to let them know how you feel about making the flashlight on the Lock Screen a user option, you can do so here.

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

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