Flashlight

Were you looking for the Hall Lights from the first game, or the Air Vent Lights from the second game?

“	...Just flash your light at him from time to time. Those older models would always get disoriented with bright lights.	”
	— Phone Guy, Night 2

Flashlight power meter.

The flashlight's text that appears underneath the battery meter.

The Flashlight is a vital in-game mechanic of 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, it's main usage in-game is to stop Foxy from attacking you.

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 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 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.

Audio

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.

Trivia

In the mobile version, the Flashlight will become disabled much 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/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.

Bedroomviewfnaf4 — The player pointing the flashlight at the Closet.

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

It is a crucial mechanic 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 rate increasing for each Nightmare Freddy's freddles on the Bed.
Will not deter Nightmare Fredbear or Nightmare/Nightmarionne if they appear in the Closet or the Doors.

Audio

The sound made when turning on and off the flashlight.

The sound made when flashing Nightmare Fredbear or Nightmare/Nightmarionne when they are on the Bed or in the Closet.

Trivia

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.

The Flashlight returns 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.

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.