Its unbelievable that this age old issue still exists on any smartphone let alone an iPhone 🙄 . According to AI Chat app Perplexity its hard wired in the code but heres the work around options Perplexity suggest;
To remove the flashlight widget from the lock screen of an iPhone 13, there are several methods that can be tried. Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely remove the flashlight button from the lock screen, as it is a hard-coded function of iOS[1]. However, there are some tricks that can be used to prevent the flashlight from being accidentally turned on. Here are some methods that can be tried:
1. Turn off "Raise to Wake" feature: This feature wakes up the iPhone's screen when it is picked up, and can make it easy to accidentally turn on the flashlight. To turn it off, go to "Settings" > "Display & Brightness" and toggle off "Raise to Wake"[2][4][6].
2. Turn off "Tap to Wake" feature: This feature allows the iPhone to be woken up by tapping the screen, and can also make it easy to accidentally turn on the flashlight. To turn it off, go to "Settings" > "Accessibility" > "Touch" and toggle off "Tap to Wake"[2].
3. Use the "Tap-to-Wake" function: This function is available on all Face ID-enabled iPhone models and allows the phone to be turned on with a single tap. However, it can be inconvenient if the phone is kept in a pocket. To turn it off, go to "Settings" > "Accessibility" > "Touch" and toggle off "Tap to Wake"[2][6].
4. Use the Control Center: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to access the Control Center and tap on the flashlight icon to turn it off. To disable the Control Center on the lock screen, go to "Settings" > "Face ID & Passcode" and toggle off "Control Center"[5].
It is important to note that while these methods can prevent the flashlight from being accidentally turned on, they do not completely remove the flashlight button from the lock screen.
Sources
[1] How to remove flashlight from Lock Screen - Apple Support Communities How to remove flashlight from Lock Screen - Apple Community
[2] [Solved] How to Remove the Flashlight from Lock Screen iPhone - iMyFone https://www.imyfone.com/unlock-iphone/remove-flashlight-from-lock-screen-iphone/
[3] How to Remove Flashlight from Lock Screen iPhone 2023 - Tenorshare https://www.tenorshare.com/iphone-tips/remove-flashlight-from-lock-screen.html
[4] [2023] How to Remove Flashlight from Lock Screen iPhone - iMobie https://www.imobie.com/iphone-unlocker/how-to-remove-flashlight-from-lock-screen.htm
[5] How to Remove Flashlight from Lock Screen iPhone 15, 14 (Any iPhone) - HowToiSolve https://www.howtoisolve.com/remove-flashlight-from-the-iphone-lock-screen/
[6] [iOS 17 Solved]The Best Guide to Remove flashlight from lock screen - PassFab https://www.passfab.com/iphone/how-to-remove-flashlight-from-lock-screen.html
By Perplexity at https://www.perplexity.ai/search/5163adf4-0063-48ce-b977-2727a7e3635e