How to make your screen flash for incoming notifications in iOS 26.2

I’ll be honest — I miss a lot of notifications on my iPhone. Sometimes, I’m heads down at work and don’t notice the alerts popping up on my phone’s screen. Other times, my focus just happens to be elsewhere. And I’m not too vain to admit that my hearing isn’t what it used to be, so I simply don’t hear those iPhone pings.

iOS 26.2 is introducing a new way to stay on top of notifications. And it builds on a feature already available in past versions of Apple’s software.

Personally, I find the camera flash to be a much better visual cue for incoming notifications, as the screen flash has proven to be more subtle when I’ve given it a test using the iOS 26.2 beta. Still, adding yet another way to catch notifications is certainly a positive step. And if you were unaware of Apple’s existing accessibility feature for notifications, let this update serve as a reminder for how to ensure you’ll never miss an alert again.

Here’s what you need to adjust to make notification alerts more visible in iOS 26.2.

1. Go to Apple’s Accessibility controls

Going to the Audio & Visual section of iOS 26.2's accessibility settings

(Image: © Future)

Launch the Settings app and tap on Accessibility. Scroll down until you reach the Hearing section of Apple’s Accessibility controls and tap Audio & Visual.

2. Turn on Flash for Alerts

Turning on Flash for Alerts in iOS 26 accessibility settings

(Image: © Future)

At the bottom of the Audio & Visual settings, you find the Flash for Alerts control. Tap it to go turn the feature on.

3. Pick your alert

picking what flashes when a notification comes in on iOS 26.2

(Image: © Future)

After you slide the toggle for flash alerts on, you’ll need to set the type of alert you receive. In addition to the existing LED Flash alert, you can also have the screen flash. There’s a setting to have the screen and LED Flash both light up, too, which is my preference.

Other settings on this screen, let you set whether the alerts happen when the phone is unlocked or whether you’ll get a flash in silent mode. Turning off that feature can come in handy when you go to a movie and silence your phone, as you don’t want any incoming alerts lighting up your iPhone mid-movie.\

When I have flash alerts turned on, I set my iPhone screen down so I can be sure to see the camera flash going off. That way, I never miss an important alert.

This new accessibility setting is just one of the changes to Apple’s iPhone software coming via iOS 26.2. I’ve also shown you how to use the new Urgent feature in Reminders to get an alarm when a to-do is due.

Looking for more iOS 26 tips? Visit our iOS 26 guide to learn how you can get Liquid Glass icons for your iPhone’s home screen and how to use the new call screening feature in the Phone app.