Does Morse Watcher work without internet or cell signal?

Yes. Decoding and sending both work fully offline. One phone flashes its flashlight and the other phone's camera reads it, so no network is needed. That makes it useful for hiking, camping and emergencies.

Is Morse Watcher free?

Morse Watcher is free to download with a 14-day free trial. After that it costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year in the US. The SOS and alert strobe buttons stay free.

Can my iPhone flash SOS in Morse code automatically?

Yes. Morse Watcher has a one-tap SOS button that flashes the correct SOS pattern with the iPhone flashlight, and you can trigger it hands-free with Siri.

Updated October 2026

The Best Morse Code App for iPhone

Q: Is there an iPhone app that can read Morse code from a flashing light?

Yes. Morse Watcher uses the iPhone camera to detect a flashing light, such as a flashlight, headlamp, beacon or another phone, and turns it into text in real time. It adapts to the sender's speed automatically.

Morse Watcher is the best iPhone app for reading Morse code from a flashing light. Point the camera at a flashlight, headlamp, beacon or another phone, and the message appears on screen as text in real time. You can flash a reply with your own flashlight. No internet or cell signal needed.

Why Morse Watcher

Built for light, start to finish. Camera decoding is the core of the app, not an add-on. Tap the light to target it and the app tracks it frame by frame.
Adapts to any sender automatically. It learns the sender's dot and dash timing as they flash, so slow, fast or uneven senders all decode without you choosing a speed. A Custom speed option is there if you want it.
Reads distant lights. Telephoto and optical zoom support lets you lock onto a light across a valley, a lake or a parking lot.
Send and receive on one screen. Watch the incoming message and type or dictate your reply in the same view, then send it with the flashlight.
Hear it as well as see it. An audio tone plays while the light is on, the way radio operators hear Morse.
Fully offline. Decoding, sending and voice dictation all run on your device.
Emergency-ready. One-tap SOS and alert strobes are always free, and Siri can start SOS hands-free.

Where to use it

Search and rescue, hiking and camping, storms and blackouts, night walks, internet shutdowns, learning Morse and games. Anywhere phones and internet fail and you have a clear line of sight to the light. See all the uses.

How it works

Point the camera at the light, tap it, and read the message as it flashes. Reply by typing or dictating, and the app flashes it with your flashlight. See How to use for the full steps.

Price

Free to download with a 14-day free trial. After that it's $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (US prices). The SOS and alert strobe buttons stay free forever. Requires iOS 18 or later on iPhone or iPad.

Try it free for 14 days

Point your iPhone at any flashing light and watch the message appear. No internet or cell signal needed.

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