Turn flash alerts on or off for calls on iPhone and Android
Use your phone’s accessibility or notification settings to add a visual flash to incoming alerts. On iPhone, look under Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual. On supported Android phones, look for Settings → Notifications → Flash notifications. These controls change the visual alert, not the ringtone you hear.
In this guide
iPhone: choose the flash options your version offers
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Audio & Visual.
- If you see Flash for Alerts, open it and enable the feature.
- Choose LED Flash, Screen or Both, where offered.
- Review Flash While Unlocked and Flash in Silent Mode for the situations in which you want the rear light to flash.
Apple’s current guide describes these choices. Another Apple help page documents the simpler LED Flash for Alerts control and locked-device operation. If your phone shows that older layout, enable the LED option and test with the phone locked; do not assume Screen or unlocked-flash controls exist on every version. The rear LED is beside the camera lens.
Android: camera flash or screen flash
On supported devices, open Settings → Notifications → Flash notifications. Google also documents an Accessibility route to the same feature. Enable Camera flash, Screen flash, or both. Use Preview to check the result; the screen option also offers color selection.
Google says camera flash is not available on every device. Manufacturer menus can differ, so search Settings for “flash notifications” if the route is absent. This is not a verified Samsung-specific menu path.
Android flash alerts can work in silent mode, but they still respect Do Not Disturb settings. Google distinguishes the repeated flash during an incoming call from the shorter flash for a notification. Use these effects cautiously if you are light sensitive.
Turn the flashing off
Return to the same controls and disable Flash for Alerts or LED Flash for Alerts on iPhone. On Android, switch off both Camera flash and Screen flash if you want neither. Disabling just one can leave the other active. On iPhone, the separate silent-mode option only controls that condition; it is not the main off switch.
Check a real call, not just a preview
After changing the setting, ask someone to call your number. Compare the locked and unlocked states you actually use and note whether the rear light or screen flashes. Keep the camera light unobstructed so you can see the result. A successful settings preview does not establish that an incoming call will pass your quiet-mode rules.
If you still miss calls, use the missing or quiet ringtone checks. A visual cue does not fix a missing exported sound, raise its volume or guarantee that every call will get your attention.
Choose the sound separately
You can add a visual alert while keeping your existing ringtone. For a new sound, open Ringy and follow the chosen ringtone’s setup steps. Our iPhone guide covers ready-made sounds, the supported Files share-sheet route and GarageBand; the Android guide covers phone-side selection. No ringtone download is required just to change flash settings.
Related guides
- A custom ringtone is missing or not playing: what to check
- Change notification sounds on Android, Samsung and Pixel
- Ringtones, text tones and alarms: which setting changes what?
Sources & compatibility
Apple and Google documentation reviewed November 1, 2026, including German Apple and French Google terminology. Controls vary by version and hardware. No physical flash-alert test or Samsung-specific menu test was performed.
- Apple: Screen and LED flash alerts
- Apple: LED Flash for Alerts and locked-device behavior
- Google: Android flash notifications
Ringy publishes this guide about its own app and phone setup. Menus can vary by device, OS version and region. For a correction, email help@rin.gy.