Samsung phones come with a lot of features, and while most of them are very easy to locate, some can be tricky. One of such features that's hidden from your phone settings is the SOS flashlight. Let's see how to find and enable it on your Galaxy device.

What Does SOS Mean?

SOS is a universally recognized Morse code distress signal originally invented for marine use; many believe it means "save our ship". The signal is represented using three dots (S) followed by three dashes (O) and three dots again (S) that form the word "S.O.S." in Morse code.

You can use it to call for help when you're in an emergency and need immediate care but all other methods are either unavailable, ineffective, or inappropriate. Needless to say, an SOS flashlight signal grabs the most attention when it's dark out.

How to Enable the SOS Flashlight on Galaxy Phones

Like we said, this feature is hidden so you can't access it by long-pressing the flashlight button on the Quick Settings panel to see additional settings like you do for other functions.

To enable the SOS flashlight, you first have to enable edge panels. Follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Settings > Display and toggle on Edge panels.
  2. Tap the same menu and go to Panels and select Tools.

Your edge panel is now activated. Follow the steps below to turn on the SOS flashlight:

  1. Open your edge panel by swiping inwards from the edge panel handle located somewhere at the side of your screen.
  2. Swipe on the panel until you reach the Tools panel. Here, tap the three dots menu at the top of the panel and select Flashlight. Tap the flashlight button to turn it on.
  3. At the bottom, an SOS button will appear. Tap it to begin sending an SOS signal.

Do note that you can't control the intensity (level of brightness) of the flashlight when the SOS feature is active. This is so because dimming the brightness will only make it less likely that a potential helper will see you.

If this looks useful to you, you might also want to take a look at other lesser-known ways to use edge panels on your Samsung phone that can increase its overall functionality.

Find Help With SOS Flashlight on Galaxy Phones

It's rare that one would need an SOS flashlight to call for help in today's world since you can just call, text, or email someone if you're in trouble.

However, say you're solo-traveling to a remote location and get stuck somewhere with no cellular data and poor network coverage. In that case, an SOS flashlight can come in incredibly handy to find help fast and reach safety.