Things to know Say, “Hey Google, turn on the flashlight.” To use the quick menu Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Flashlight tile.
This article explains how to turn on the flashlight on your Android phone, including instructions on how to use Quick Access, Assistant, Gestures, and Flashlight apps.
How to turn on flashlight in Android quick settings
Android uses a quick settings menu that you can access by tapping and dragging at the top of the screen. This menu is made up of a series of tiles that you can use to toggle various settings on and off, and also provides easy access to more advanced settings, which you can reach by long-pressing a tile.
If you don’t see the flashlight tile, swipe from right to left to check all the tiles. You can also add this tile if it’s not there: tap the pencil icon in the quick settings menu, scroll down to find the flashlight tile, press and hold the tile and drag it up to the quick settings menu.
To turn on the flashlight from the Quick Settings menu:
Tap and drag down from the top of the screen.
Tap and drag down again to see the entire quick settings menu.
Tap the Flashlight tile to turn on the flashlight.
Tapping the tile again turns off the flashlight.
How to turn on the flashlight with Google Assistant
Google Assistant can turn the flashlight on and off with a simple voice command. To turn on the flashlight with the Google Assistant on your Android device:
Open Google Assistant.
You can say “Hey Google” or tap the microphone icon in the search bar. Some phones also support opening the assistant with a gesture or by squeezing the device.
Say the voice command “Turn on the flashlight”.
Alternatively, you can type turn on flashlight in the wizard.
Say, “Hey Google. Turn off the flashlight” or type Turn off the flashlight in Assistant to turn off the flashlight.
How to turn on the flashlight with gesture control
On some androids, you can turn on the flashlight with gesture controls by drawing a pattern, shaking, or tapping your phone, but this isn’t a universal feature. Phones that commonly support gesture controls of some sort include Motorola, Pixel, and OnePlus.
If you have one of these phones but gesture controls aren’t working, you may need to enable this option. Open Settings and type gestures in the search box to see if your phone has gesture options.
Here are some commonly used gestures to turn on an Android flashlight:
Motorola: Shake your phone twice in a chopping motion. Pixel: Double tap the back of the phone. OnePlus: Draw a V on the screen. Can you turn on an Android flashlight with an app?
If your phone’s manufacturer removed the flashlight switch from the quick settings menu without providing an alternative way to activate the flashlight, you can download a flashlight app from the Google Play Store.
This option is also available if you already have access to Flashlight from the quick settings menu and some of these apps have additional features that you may be interested in.
For example, some flashlight apps allow you to activate the flashlight with a gesture control, even if your phone doesn’t natively support this feature.
How to turn on an Android flashlight with an app:
Open the Play Store.
Type flashlight in the search box.
Select the flashlight app you want.
Tap Install.
Tap Open.
Use the switch in the app to turn the flashlight on and off.
The toggle can look like a power button, a flashlight, or something else depending on the app you’re using.
To access additional options, look for a gear or menu icon.
If the app supports gesture controls and you want to use them, look for a gesture controls toggle and tap to enable it.
FAQ
How to increase flashlight brightness in Android?
Not all Android phones have the option to make their flashlight brighter. To see if yours can, swipe down twice to open the full quick settings menu, then tap and hold the flashlight icon. A slider may appear that you can use to adjust the brightness.
How to use flashlight to show incoming call in Android?
You can blink the flashlight as an indicator of calls and other notifications. Open the Accessibility section of Settings, then check the Hearing pane for an option called LED flash for alerts. Note that this setting applies to text and app notifications along with calls.
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