It's common knowledge that you can quickly access the flashlight and Camera from your iPhone's Lock Screen using the buttons in the bottom left and right corners. However, what many don’t realize is that with iOS 18, you now have the ability to personalize these buttons to perform a variety of different actions.

Starting with the iOS 18 update released on September 16, features that were once exclusive to Control Center are now also accessible directly from the Lock Screen (on Face ID-enabled iPhone models) and the Action button (available on iPhone 15 Pro and all iPhone 16 models). This update brings expanded functionality, including the option to open any app from the Lock Screen. Additionally, third-party apps can now integrate their own controls, meaning new options may appear as you update your apps.

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To change the default flashlight or Camera button, begin by opening your Lock Screen or Notification Center. Tap the date and time or any empty area on your wallpaper. In the Lock Screen switcher, select "Customize" under your current Lock Screen, then choose the Lock Screen preview from the customization menu.

Next, tap either the flashlight or Camera icon located in one of the bottom corners to remove it. Even if you replace the Camera icon, you can still launch the Camera app by swiping left on the Lock Screen. Once the button is cleared, a plus ( ) sign will appear—tap it to open the control picker. From here, you can browse or search for a specific control to assign.

The control picker offers a broad selection of options for your Lock Screen buttons. The first section displays popular choices, though all of these are also available in the categorized groups below. Some controls—like Low Power Mode, Screen Recording, and Sound Recognition—are not supported on the Lock Screen, but there are still numerous alternatives to choose from:

• Capture: Camera, Magnifier, Scan Code
• Clock: Alarm, Stopwatch, Timer
• Connectivity: Airplane Mode, Cellular Data, Personal Hotspot
• Display & Brightness: Dark Mode
• Home: Home
• Remote: Remote
• Settings: Bluetooth (no longer available in the latest beta)
• Shortcuts: Shortcut, Open App
• Sounds: Recognize Music, Silent Mode (for iPhone models with an Action button)
• Translate: Translate
• Utilities: Calculator, Flashlight, Magnifier, Scan Code
• Voice Memos: Voice Memo
• Wallet: Tap to Cash, Wallet
• Watch: Ping My Watch
• Accessibility: Assistive Access, Live Speech
• Hearing Accessibility: Left-Right Stereo Balance, Live Captions, Music Haptics (on supported iPhone models)
• Motor Accessibility: Apple Watch Mirroring, AssistiveTouch, Control Nearby Devices, Eye Tracking, Full Keyboard Access, Switch Control, Voice Control
• Vision Accessibility: Classic Invert, Color Filters, Dim Flashing Lights, Hover Text, Hover Typing, Increase Contrast, Live Recognition, Reduce Motion, Reduce Transparency, Reduce White Point, Smart Invert, Speak Screen, VoiceOver, Zoom

These are the built-in controls currently available in iOS 18. You may also notice third-party apps appearing as separate categories or integrated into Apple’s existing groups. For instance, photography apps like Halide and Instagram might show up under the Capture category.

Simply select your desired control—such as Calculator—and iOS 18 will automatically assign it to the Lock Screen button you selected. To save your changes, tap "Done" at the top of the screen, then choose the Lock Screen from the Lock Screen switcher.

Keep in mind that custom controls are applied per Lock Screen. If you use multiple Lock Screens, you’ll need to customize each one individually.

To try out your new button, press and hold it until it enlarges, then release your finger—just like the original flashlight and Camera shortcuts.

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Cover photo and screenshots by Justin Meyers/Gadget Hacks

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