The flashlight is one of the most practical and simple features of smartphones, available on almost all models. It's a very useful tool when we're in the dark, for example, when putting a key in a lock or looking for something that's fallen in a dimly lit place. However, it's a feature that consumes a lot of battery, so knowing how to turn it off is just as important as knowing how to turn it on.
Since most mobile devices now include the flashlight as part of the phone's features, there is no need to download an app to access this option. In this way, everything is much easier.
Classic method to turn flashlight on and off
This is how we should proceed to turn the flashlight on or off, both on Android and iOS devices:
On Android
On Android devices , simply go to the "notification menu ," located at the top of the device. There you'll see some of the device's options. Among them is the flashlight option . Tapping on it will turn it on and off, just like a switch.
If you plan to use this feature frequently, it might be more convenient to create a shortcut icon on your home screen. To do this, simply press and hold the flashlight option and drag it to your phone's home screen . Then, whenever you want to use it, you only need to tap the icon to turn it on or off.
On iOS
Just like on Android, iOS devices also offer a flashlight function without needing to download any apps. In fact, the feature is included on all Apple smartphones since the iPhone 5. Turning the flashlight on and off is really simple.
In this case, what you have to do is go to the “device control center”, dragging your finger across the mobile screen, from bottom to top. There we will see the flashlight icon (it looks like a kind of light bulb), which we can activate or deactivate simply by clicking on it.
Other ways to turn on and off the mobile flashlight
There are other alternative ways to activate or deactivate the flashlight of the phone. The idea is that the action is faster and more comfortable. These are the most prominent:
Using other buttons on the phone
Turn flashlight on or off using phone power button
It can be very convenient to turn your phone's flashlight on and off using the power button or the volume control button, for example. This can be done through a free app called Power Button Flashlight , available on both the Google Play Store and the App Store.
After installing this application on our smartphone, it is necessary to enter the power button or volume button settings and configure the accessibility for the flashlight. Once this is done, we can turn on the flashlight using these buttons, usually by pressing them two or three consecutive times.
Through the movement
Shake Light, an application to turn the flashlight on and off with a simple gesture
It's also possible to turn your phone's flashlight on and off with a simple gesture or movement. It couldn't be easier. To do this, you'll need to use a third-party app installed on your device. Some of the most popular are Shake Light and Macrodroid.
with voice messages
Turn on or off the mobile flashlight with a voice command
Whether you're using an iPhone or an Android device, you can activate the voice assistant by pressing and holding the home button. If it's enabled and installed correctly, you can simply give it a command:
- With OK Google: We will have to say “OK Google, turn on my flashlight” to turn it on and “OK Google, turn off the flashlight” to turn it off. The wizard will perform the action as commanded.
- with Siri: Phrases can be configured for the wizard to perform these actions. The most direct would be "flashlight on/off" or "flashlight on/off".
Problems turning off the mobile flashlight
With any of the methods explained in this article, turning on your mobile phone's flashlight is quite easy. However, we often encounter the frustrating situation of not being able to turn it off at all. This can become a serious problem, especially since the flashlight continues to drain the battery.
When this happens and we cannot turn off the flashlight in the usual ways, we can try a series of emergency solutions:
- Restart the mobile phone, a classic remedy that works for almost everything.
- Restore and update our smartphone, in order to correct small operating errors.
- In case of using a external application, remove it and reinstall it.