Losing track of your iPhone is a common occurrence, especially when distractions abound. Often, we’re left pondering the whereabouts of our trusty device, only to discover it has vanished into the depths of our surroundings. Thankfully, there’s an alternative method to locate your iPhone, even if it’s set to silent and conventional calling or activating the ringer remotely isn’t an option.
If you’re an Apple Watch owner, you’re probably familiar with the iPhone search method that involves triggering a sound signal. It’s a feature we’ve relied on countless times and has evolved into one of the most practical uses for our Apple Watch in daily life. However, there’s another ingenious way you can employ your smartwatch to rescue your misplaced iPhone: using the flashlight.
Activating Your iPhone’s Flashlight
The iPhone flashlight is a marvel of simplicity and utility. We often turn to it when the lights are off in a room and we need to find something or during those eerie moments when we think we hear something and use our phone’s flashlight to cast light on the situation. Now, the flashlight serves an additional purpose – helping us locate our lost iPhone.
To utilize this feature, grab your smartwatch with the intention of remotely activating your iPhone’s flashlight. The powerful beam of light, far from subtle, will guide you to your phone’s location. Initially, Apple introduced this functionality as an accessibility feature, ensuring that individuals with hearing impairments or those who are completely deaf could also locate their phones when they were out of earshot. However, it’s an ability that anyone can employ without limitation.
Here’s How to Do It
- Start by opening the Control Center on your Apple Watch. To do this, press the physical button on the right side of the device, distinguishable by its orange hue. Make sure you’re pressing the correct button on the right side, as it will bring up the options menu.
Button to open the Apple Watch Control Center
- Ordinarily, to trigger your iPhone’s audible signal, you would tap on the “Ping iPhone” option. While this works well when the sound is sufficient for your search, it often falls short in noisy environments. In such cases, you’ll need to take the following step.
- Press and hold the “Ping iPhone” button. On your screen, this button is represented by the icon of a mobile phone with two waves emanating from each side.
With this action, your iPhone will enter a dual-mode, combining an audible signal and the activation of the flashlight. The flashlight will emit five flashes of light in a pattern to catch your attention. If you don’t spot your phone during the first attempt, you can repeat the process for a second try.
Apple Watch Control Center Menu
While this feature is undoubtedly practical, it does have its shortcomings that could benefit from Apple’s attention in future updates. For instance, the intermittent flashes of the flashlight can be somewhat inconvenient. A continuous flashlight beam would be more straightforward. Additionally, it would be advantageous to have the option to activate the flashlight without simultaneously triggering the audible signal. There are times when we prefer to use only the flashlight’s light, especially when noise might disturb others at home.
Furthermore, it would be great if this feature were not exclusive to Apple Watch and if Apple offered more versatile alternatives, such as its AirTags. Who knows, maybe in the future, we’ll see improvements that make it even easier to use this handy function.