Tech Reference

How to turn off the flash on your Android device's camera

Written by Steven John
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
You can easily turn off the flash on your Android device in the Camera app. Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
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Any experienced photographer will tell you that lighting is as important as composition when it comes to getting a great shot. The more control you have over lighting, the better picture you will end up with. Often, this means reducing the amount of light. 

While of course the flash on your camera is intended to help, it can add too much light to the foreground of your picture and wash out a subject's features or create a redeye effect.

Also, if you're trying to be discreet about taking a picture, that bright flash is probably not going to do much to help you there. 

So let's talk about the quick and easy way to turn the flash off on your Android phone.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $899.99 at Best Buy)

How to turn off the flash on your Android device

1. Open the Camera app on your Android device.

2. Tap on the lightning bolt icon at the bottom-center of your screen.

How to turn off flash on Android
If the camera app's lightning bolt icon is yellow, the flash is on and will go off regardless of lighting conditions.  Steven John/Business Insider

3. Tap until the lightning bolt has a slash mark through it, indicating that it's shut off.

  • If you've tapped to the point that the lightning bolt has an "A" next to it, it's set to automatic mode.
How to turn off flash on Android
A slash through the lightning bolt means your flash is turned off.  Steven John/Business Insider

 

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Headshot of Steven John
Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.