Flashlight

The Flashlight is a vital in-game object tool used for seeing through pitch darkness in the Five Nights at Freddy's series, first used in Five Nights at Freddy's 2.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

It is activated by pressing and holding any Ctrl key (or in the tap zone in the mobile version), and is turned off by releasing the key (or the tap zone). It can be used while viewing the Monitor to brighten rooms using the cameras, and it can be used in the Office to brighten the hallway. However, its main usage in-game is to stop Withered Foxy from attacking the player.

Advantages

• Allows the player to brighten the rooms in camera view (especially Parts/Service, and the Air Vents).
• Allows the player to brighten the hallway outside the Office.
• Allows the player to slow down and reset almost all of the animatronics.
• Allows the player to fend off Withered Foxy when he is in The Office hallway by flashing their light at him.

Disadvantages

• Has limited battery life.
  • If the battery dies, it leaves the player vulnerable to the animatronics, particularly Withered Foxy.
• Can be disabled by BB.
• Cannot be used while the Freddy Fazbear Head is being worn.
• Can be temporarily disabled when an animatronic (apart from Golden Freddy) is moving in the hallway outside the Office.
• Cannot be used while one of the vent blind spot lights is on.
• Can trigger Golden Freddy's attack if his floating head in the hallway is illuminated for too long.

Five Nights at Freddy's 4

The Flashlight makes a return in Five Nights at Freddy's 4.

It is a crucial object in the game which is one of the player's only means of defense. Just like in the second game, it is activated by pressing and holding the Ctrl key (or the Flashlight button in the mobile version), with the Bedroom being an exception as it is activated automatically. The Flashlight is used to check and lure any evidences of a nearby animatronic. The same mechanic is also used in the minigame Fun with Plushtrap/Fun with Balloon Boy.

Advantages

• Allows the player to brighten up dark areas.
• Allows the player to check if an animatronic is coming.
• Allows the player to ward away any animatronics down the hall or on the Bed.
• Allows the player to see Plushtrap\Nightmare Balloon Boy's progress.
• Unlike in the second game, it has unlimited battery life.

Disadvantages

• Activating when an animatronic is at the door will trigger its attack.
  • One reason is because the breathing sound at first is not clearly audible, making progress hard.
    • As of v1.01, the volume of the breathing sound was increased.
• While it's battery life is unlimited, it will, however, flicker periodically with the rate increasing for each of Nightmare Freddy's freddles on the Bed.
• Will not deter Nightmare Fredbear or Nightmare/Nightmarionne if they appear in the Closet or the Doors.

Ultimate Custom Night

The Flashlight is used once again in Ultimate Custom Night.

Unlike in the second and fourth games, the flashlight is activated by pressing Z on the keyboard instead of Ctrl, and the player can move it back and forth in The Office.

Advantages

• Allows the player to ward off Phantom Freddy when he appears.
• Allows the player to prevent Nightmare BB's attack when he is standing.
• Allows the player to ward off the Freddles to prevent Nightmare Freddy's attack.

Disadvantages

• Drains the player's power when used.
• Shining it on Nightmare BB when he is sitting down will cause a game over.

Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted

The Flashlight returns in several game modes in Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted. While the functions and the abilities of the flashlight are different depending on the game modes, it is normally used by pressing and holding the controller stick.

The flashlight appears in all levels in Dark Rooms section (except the Funtime Foxy level), Vent Repair section, and Night Terrors section.

Advantages

• Allows the player to look into the dark areas.
• Allows the player to check on the movement of the animatronics.
• Allows the player to ward off certain animatronics:
  • PlushBaby (PlushBaby level in Dark Rooms section).
  • Mangle (Mangle level in Vent Repair section).
  • Funtime Freddy in the hall and Bonnet (Funtime Freddy level in Night Terrors section).
  • Nightmarionne and its tentacle-like fingers (Nightmarionne level in Night Terrors section).
• Has unlimited battery life (in most levels).
• Able to track where the player is facing and move along with the player's face (only in Vent Repair section).

Disadvantages

• Needs to recharge the battery every once in a while (only in PlushBaby level).
• Will turn off itself if being turned on for too long (in Night Terrors section).
• Triggers Funtime Freddy's attack if shining the flashlight when he is by the door (in Funtime Freddy level).

Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery

The flashlight once again appears in Five Nights at Freddy's AR: Special Delivery. The Flashlight is activated by the flashlight button on the bottom right of the screen while in the camera mode. When animatronic is present, it will make static more visible, but it will slowly deplete the battery. Turning it on will immediately drain 3% battery as well.

When collecting Remnant, the Flashlight draws Remnant, whether Light or Shadow, closer to the player. It can also be used to defeat Shadow Bonnie. Battery will not deplete if the Flashlight is used while collecting Remnant, and it can be recharged while not in use.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

The Office

Flashlight in action.

Freddy Fazbear as seen using the Flashlight.

Bonnie as seen when using the Flashlight.

Foxy as seen when using the Flashlight.

Toy Freddy as seen when using the Flashlight.

Toy Freddy leaning in, as seen when using the Flashlight.

Toy Chica as seen when using the Flashlight.

Mangle as seen when using the Flashlight.

Bonnie and Foxy as seen when using the Flashlight.

Foxy and Mangle as seen when using the Flashlight.

Golden Freddy as seen when using the Flashlight.

The Flashlight as seen while the animatronics are moving.

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Monitor

Party Room 1 with the Flashlight in action.

Party Room 2 with the Flashlight in action.

Party Room 3 with the Flashlight in action.

Party Room 4 with the Flashlight in action.

Left Air Vent with the Flashlight in action.

Right Air Vent with the Flashlight in action.

Main Hall with the Flashlight in action.

Parts/Service with the Flashlight in action.

Show Stage with the Flashlight in action and the toy animatronics visible.

Game Area with the Flashlight in action.

Prize Corner with the Flashlight in action.

Kid's Cove with the Flashlight in action.

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Five Nights at Freddy's 4

The Flashlight in various positions around the Bedroom.

The Bed with the flashlight in action.

The Right Hall with the flashlight in action.

The Left Hall with the flashlight in action.

The Closet with the flashlight in action.

The Hallway with the flashlight in action.

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Five Nights at Freddy's 2

The buzz the Flashlight makes when it is on.

The sound made when attempting to use the Flashlight when it's disabled.

The sound emitted when attempting to use the Flashlight when it has been completely disabled by BB.

Five Nights at Freddy's 4

The sound made when turning on and off the flashlight.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

• In the mobile version, the Flashlight will become disabled noticeably longer when an animatronic moves down the hallway.
• In certain instances, such as Chica in Party Room 2, if an animatronic is not in the center of the Flashlight's range, it will change position and make the animatronic clearer to see.
• The Flashlight will not activate if the player activates it on the Show Stage while all of the toy animatronics are absent.
  • This aids the player by not draining the Flashlight battery, as all the animatronics have left the Show Stage and it is redundant to use the light as the player may needlessly waste their battery.
• In earlier versions of the game, if the player held the Ctrl key on the PC and then put on the Freddy Head while still pressing it down, the light would still shine down the hallway. This has been fixed as of v1.032.
• When disabled by BB, the Flashlight makes the same noise as the Doors and Hall Lights from the first games when they're disabled, along with the left and right vent lights.
  • The formerly mentioned sound effect also emits whenever an animatronic is moving in the hallway on the mobile version.
• It is unknown how the Flashlight is used on the cameras. Since Jeremy Fitzgerald and Fritz Smith have a Flashlight along, allowing them to shine down the hallway, it would be impossible for the two to shine the Flashlight into the rooms through the cameras. Simply shining the Flashlight on the Monitor would do no good either, as it would only brighten the screen and obstruct their view.
  • This could mean that the security cameras have a separate light in them which can be toggled via the Monitor, though why this would drain from the Flashlight battery is unknown.

Five Nights at Freddy's 4

• The reason flashlight has unlimited battery, unlike in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, is likely to prevent players from being completely defenseless.
• In the mobile version, it is impossible to make a honking sound from a Freddy plushie. It is because the Flashlight turns off while pressing the plush toy's nose with the tap zone pressed.

Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted

• Although the flashlight was one of the core elements in Five Nights at Freddy's 2, the flashlight never return in the FNAF 2 section. It is because the flashlight for the hallway and the cameras are now replaced by lights that can be switched on with the buttons.