TL;DR
Activate your iPhone flashlight with a voice command – no app needed.
Your iPhone understands Harry Potter spells. Say "Lumos" to Siri and your flashlight turns on. It's not a gimmick — it's genuinely the fastest way to get light.
How to do it
- Activate Siri: hold the side button (or say "Hey Siri" / "Siri" if enabled)
- Say "Lumos"
- The flashlight turns on
To turn it off: say "Nox" (the counter-spell), or just tap the flashlight icon on your lock screen.
Why this is actually useful
- Hands full? "Hey Siri, Lumos" works without touching your phone
- Dark room, phone on nightstand? Voice activation means no fumbling for the right button
- Kids love it — it's a guaranteed wow moment
All Harry Potter spells for Siri
Three spells work out of the box — no setup needed:
| Spell | What it does |
|---|---|
| "Lumos" | Turns on the flashlight |
| "Nox" | Turns off the flashlight |
| "Accio [App Name]" | Opens any app (e.g., "Accio Instagram") |
With a quick shortcut in the Shortcuts app, you can unlock even more:
| Spell | What it does | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| "Lumos Maxima" | Flashlight at max brightness | Shortcuts > set flashlight to 100% |
| "Silencio" | Turns on Do Not Disturb | Shortcuts > toggle Focus mode |
| "Muffliato" | Reduces volume + plays background sounds | Shortcuts > set volume + background sound |
| "Sonorus" | Volume to 100% | Shortcuts > set volume |
| "Quietus" | Volume to 50% | Shortcuts > set volume |
| "Point Me" | Opens the Compass app | Shortcuts > open Compass |
| "Homenum Revelio" | Opens Find My (locate people) | Shortcuts > open Find My |
To set these up: open the Shortcuts app, create a new shortcut, name it with the spell, add the action, done.
The backstory
Apple added the Harry Potter spells as easter eggs. They work in every language Siri supports — so "Lumos" works whether your phone is set to English, German, Dutch, French, or Japanese. The spell is universal.
Quick alternatives
If you don't use Siri, you can also:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner (Control Center) and tap the flashlight icon
- Long-press the flashlight icon on the lock screen
- On iPhone 15 Pro and later: customize the Action Button to toggle the flashlight