Candle: Light One for Someone

Using Candle

How to light a virtual candle on your iPhone

You can light a virtual candle for someone you are thinking of and keep it on your iPhone Home Screen. In Candle: Light One for Someone, you can add a few words, light the candle, and let it burn down over 24 hours.

This is a personal candle in an app. If you want a public memorial page that friends can visit and contribute to, you will need a service that offers shared memorials.

Start with a person, a memory, or a wish

Your candle can be for a loved one you miss, someone facing a difficult day, or something you want to hold in mind. You decide what it means.

A short dedication is enough. These are examples you can adapt:

You can also leave the dedication empty. Candle lets you light one without writing anything.

Light your first candle

You will need an iPhone running iOS 18.2 or later.

  1. Get Candle on the App Store, then open the app.
  2. On the welcome screen, tap Light a candle without a widget. You can add the widget in the next section. If you have already finished setup, use the button on the candle screen to light one.
  3. On the New candle screen, write your dedication or leave the field empty.
  4. Tap Light.

The candle burns for 24 hours from the moment you light it. The time is measured from that moment, so lighting it in the evening does not make it restart at midnight. You can leave the app and use your phone as usual.

The basic candle and Home Screen widget are free. Optional paid personalisation includes custom colours and a photo background. You can check the current subscription offer in the app before choosing it.

Put the candle on your Home Screen

Adding the widget gives your candle a place beside the apps you use during the day.

  1. Go to your iPhone Home Screen.
  2. Touch and hold an empty area until the app icons begin to jiggle.
  3. Tap Edit, then Add Widget.
  4. Find Candle in the widget list.
  5. Choose a size and tap Add Widget.
  6. Position it where you want it, then tap Done.

These steps follow Apple's instructions for adding Home Screen widgets. Candle supports small, medium, and large Home Screen widgets. The available space on your screen will help you choose.

The widget shows your candle's burn state. As time passes, the wax becomes shorter. You do not have to keep Candle open for the 24-hour burn to progress.

Decide whether you want an end-of-burn notification

In Candle, tap the gear icon to open Settings, then turn on Tell me when it goes out. Allow notifications if iOS asks.

The notification says that the flame has gone out. It does not include your dedication. If notifications are turned off for Candle in iOS Settings, enabling the switch inside the app alone will not deliver one.

You can leave notifications off and return to the candle whenever you choose.

Return when you are ready

When the 24 hours end, the flame goes out. The app also keeps a local history of candles you have lit.

You can light another candle when you want to. There is one current candle at a time: lighting a new one replaces the current candle and moves the earlier one into history. You can give the new candle the same dedication or choose a different one.

A few practical questions

Can I use it for a prayer or a remembrance?

Yes. The dedication is yours to choose. You can use a name, a memory, a prayer intention, or an empty field. The app provides the candle; it does not prescribe a ceremony.

Will other people see my dedication?

Candle does not publish it to a memorial wall or shared feed. Your dedication and candle history stay in storage on your iPhone, which the app and its widget use together. Your device backup may also contain app data. See Candle's privacy policy for the details.

Do I need a subscription to light a candle?

The basic candle and widget are free. A subscription is optional for additional personalization.

Can I add it to the Lock Screen?

This guide covers Candle's Home Screen widget. The current widget supports the small, medium, and large Home Screen sizes; it does not provide a Lock Screen widget.

Give the candle a place on your phone

Get Candle on the App Store, light one for whoever is on your mind, and add the widget to your Home Screen.

You can also see how Candle works before you download it.