Overview
- The update introduces a screen‑flash alert that complements the long‑standing rear LED option for incoming notifications.
- Users can enable the feature under Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Flash for Alerts and choose LED, Screen, or Both, with toggles for unlocked use and Silent Mode.
- The addition is framed as an accessibility aid for deaf and hard‑of‑hearing users and as a practical silent cue in places like libraries.
- Lifehacker reports the display does not strobe but instead briefly increases brightness to signal a new alert, which may be less attention‑grabbing than the LED.
- Selecting Both lets alerts register whether the phone is face up or face down, though Apple Watch notification mirroring can divert alerts from a locked iPhone in some cases.