iOS 18 Flashlight Beam Angle in Dynamic Island

Apple introduced a redesigned flashlight interface in iOS 18 that integrates directly into the Dynamic Island on compatible iPhone models. This update transforms the flashlight from a basic on-and-off utility into an interactive tool, allowing users to control both the intensity of the light and the width of the beam using intuitive touch gestures and real-time visual animations.

When you turn on the flashlight from the Lock Screen, Control Center, or Action Button, the Dynamic Island immediately expands into a pill-shaped interactive card. This card displays an illuminated flashlight icon alongside a graphical representation of the light cone radiating from the top of the display.

To adjust the beam angle, you interact with the expanded Dynamic Island using horizontal swipe gestures:

• Widening the Beam: Swiping your finger horizontally outward (to the right) widens the beam angle. In the Dynamic Island, the animated light cone expands horizontally, reflecting a wider floodlight spread designed to illuminate broader areas.
• Narrowing the Beam: Swiping horizontally inward (to the left) narrows the beam angle. The graphic responds in real time by tightening into a narrow, focused spotlight cone ideal for long-distance illumination.

The interface simultaneously supports vertical gestures for brightness. Swiping vertically up or down adjusts the intensity level, and the Dynamic Island dynamically brightens or dims the virtual light cone in sync with your movement. You can also adjust both parameters in a single fluid motion by dragging diagonally.

As you make adjustments, the interface provides precise tactile feedback via the Taptic Engine, clicking softly as you shift through the different focus widths and brightness thresholds. Tapping anywhere outside the Dynamic Island or letting it time out collapses the card back into its compact status indicator, locking in your selected beam width and brightness until the flashlight is turned off.

This feature relies on the Adaptive True Tone flash system equipped with an array of individual LEDs, making the beam angle control exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro series, iPhone 15 Pro series, and all iPhone 16 models running iOS 18.