How to Change Your Phone Flashlight Color: 5 Ways Compared (iPhone & Android)

Short answer: You can't change your phone flashlight's color in the settings, on iPhone or on Android. The flash LED is a white LED. To get colored light, you put a color filter in front of the LED. The easiest way is a stick-on filter like Flashy: stick it on the center of the LED, turn on the flashlight, done. No app, no battery. Alternatives are a DIY filter made of tape and a marker, using the screen as a colored light, or a separate RGB lamp.

Why is the phone flashlight always white?

Your phone's flashlight is really the camera flash: a small, very bright LED designed to give neutral white light for photos. Some phones have several LEDs with different shades of white so skin tones look more natural in photos, but none of them offers a real color choice like red, green or pink. Apps can only turn the LED on and off, dim it or make it blink. No app can change its color.

So if you want colored light from your phone flashlight, you have to filter it. Stage and film lights work the same way: a color gel sits in front of a white lamp.

The 5 ways at a glance

Way	Real color from the LED?	Effort	Cost	Stays on hands-free?	Can you use the phone meanwhile?
1. Stick-on color filter (Flashy)	yes	3 seconds	in the shop	yes, sticks to the LED	yes
2. DIY: tape + marker	yes, often patchy	5–10 minutes	stuff you have at home	no, peels, may leave residue	yes
3. Colored glass/bottle/foil in front	yes	seconds	free	only while you hold it	limited
4. Screen as a colored light (app/image)	no, the screen glows, not the LED	1–2 minutes	free (often with ads)	per use	no
5. Separate RGB lamp	– (different light source)	buy + charge	much more	yes	yes

1. Stick-on color filter: the fastest way

A phone flashlight color filter is a small round sticker that turns white light into color. A Flashy measures 7 mm and has two ultra-thin layers: a color layer that turns white into your color, and a grip layer that keeps it on the LED.

How to: 1. Clean the flash LED on the back of your phone (no dust, no fingerprints). 2. Peel a Flashy off the carrier card. 3. Stick it on the center of the LED. 4. Turn on the flashlight and glow.

Which color for what? - Warm and cozy: Royal Gold, Solar Orange or Flame Red from Sunset Lights. Great for balcony evenings, as a candle alternative or in the tent. - Dreamy and playful: Power Pink, Mystic Violet or Sky Breeze from Fairy Lights. For room decor, parties and photos. - For the whole group: five Flashys in one color in the Friends Pack, so you find each other at festivals and concerts. - To try them all: the Mystery Light with 7 different Flashys and the chance of a rare Aurora Flashy.

Will it fit my phone? Yes. Flashy fits every smartphone: iPhone, Samsung, Pixel or any other model. A few rare phones have a large LED ring (about 3 cm). On those, simply stick on several Flashys, since every pack contains several filters.

The upside: nothing to hold, install or charge.

2. DIY: clear tape and a marker

The classic life hack: put a piece of clear tape over the LED, color it with a permanent marker, maybe add a second layer. - Pros: free if you have the materials. - Cons: the color is often patchy and pale, the tape shifts, gets messy and can leave sticky residue. Tip: never draw directly on the lens, always on the tape.

3. Hold colored glass, a bottle or foil in front

A colored glass, a bright plastic bottle or a piece of candy wrapper in front of the LED colors the light instantly. - Pros: instant, free, good for a spontaneous effect. - Cons: only works while you hold it or keep the phone still. Impractical on the go, at parties or when filming.

4. Screen as a colored light (apps and images)

"Color flashlight" apps turn your screen into a colored area. A single-color image in your gallery does the same. - Pros: any color, free. - Cons: the screen is much weaker than the LED and won't light up a room. It uses more battery, you can't use your phone at the same time, and many free apps show ads. The LED itself stays white.

5. Separate RGB lamp

Rechargeable lamps or LED strips with color modes offer lots of colors and effects. But they are an extra device you have to buy, charge and carry, and they have nothing to do with your phone flashlight.

Which way is right for you?

• You just want to try it once: hold a glass or bottle in front (way 3).
• You want colored light every time without fiddling: a stick-on filter (way 1), such as Sunset Lights for warm or Fairy Lights for dreamy light.
• You're out as a group: the Friends Pack, one color for everyone.
• You only want less glare: dim the flashlight and bounce it off a wall.

6 ideas for a colored phone flashlight

1. Old phone as a mood lamp: Flashy on, flashlight on, phone on the charger and facing the wall.
2. Candle without fire: Royal Gold on your phone, laid on the table with the LED facing the wall: golden light with no open flame.
3. Disco at home: point several phones with different colors at the ceiling and play music on a Bluetooth speaker.
4. Halloween: Flame Red, Emerald Green or Mystic Violet for spooky light from below.
5. Content light: colored light for TikTok, Reels and photos, no ring light needed.
6. Crew finder at festivals: everyone in the same color, so you find each other in the crowd.

FAQ

Can you change the flashlight color on an iPhone? Not in the settings. The iPhone's LED always shines white; in Control Center you can only make it brighter or dimmer (press and hold the flashlight icon). For colored light, put a color filter such as a Flashy on the LED.

Does it work on Android phones (Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi)? Android has no color setting for the flashlight either. Many devices can adjust brightness. You change the color with a filter in front of the LED, and that works the same on every model.

Is there an app that makes the flashlight colored? No, no app can change the LED's color. "Color flashlight" apps only color the screen, which is much dimmer than the LED.

What about the Apple Watch? The Apple Watch flashlight uses the watch screen and has three modes: steady white, flashing white and steady red. Swipe left or right to switch. That only applies to the watch; your iPhone’s LED stays white.

Does the filter affect flash photos? While the filter is on the LED, your flash is colored too. For normal flash photos, simply peel the Flashy off.

Which colors are there? Flame Red, Solar Orange, Royal Gold, Power Pink, Mystic Violet, Sky Breeze, Ocean Blue and Emerald Green. With a bit of luck, the Mystery Light contains a rare Aurora Flashy. See all packs in the overview.

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Find your color: Sunset Lights · Fairy Lights · Friends Pack · Mystery Light