Power Button Flashlight is an Android app that wants to make it as quick as it possibly can be to get the flashlight started on your smartphone. It does this using the LED that doubles as your camera flash and the physical Power button, making sure you have an accurate and bright hardware flashlight to help you see in the dark when you need it most. Power Button Flashlight uses your phone’s power button to make it super-easy to launch the flashlight in total darkness without any fiddling since you don’t have to unlock your your phone and it works even when the screen is off. This app makes your device feel just like real flashlight. It’s free to download and use, and there are extra features for a small fee, too.
Like other Android apps, you just need to download Power Button Flashlight from the Play Store or from Amazon, and then test to see if it works with your LED on your device.
Making sure the app works is nice and simple, and you can always open the app up like this to use the app as a normal flashlight app.
Here’s a look at my lockscreen after pressing my power button, as you can see it’s set the flashlight going and I can tap the notification to stop it.
There are some settings that you can change, adjusting the time between button presses and more.
That’s all there is to it for the most part, but there are more settings available to you, like the ability to turn off the flashlight using your power button if you were to upgrade to the full version of the app, which is really quite cheap.
Flashlight apps on Android are fairly common, let’s be honest, but that doesn’t mean that some aren’t better than others. A flashlight app is great for those that spend time in areas that are poorly lit or if you just use it for work or something like that. However, some of these apps can be just too complicated and involve far too many steps. My Dad is a prime example here; he loves having the ability on his G3, but he’s not so good at juggling his flip case and the touch controls and such. So, Power Button Flashlight would be perfect for him as all he needs to remember is a short sequence of pressing the power button, it really couldn’t be easier. The refreshing approach to upgrading to the pro version is nice as well, it’s easy to do and it’s really not that costly at all. A great, neat app that worked like a treat on my Xperia Z2, Power Button Flashlight has kicked other apps on my device to the kerb.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – Getting used to the speed of pushing the button in sequence doesn’t take long and your flashlight comes on immediately.
- Theme (4/5) – The app itself is fairly easy to use and all of the settings and buttons in Power Button Flashlight are easily laid out and quick to find.
- Features (4/5) – When looking to get a flashlight up and running, there’s no quicker way than with Power Button Flashlight. No need to unlock your phone, no need to open up the flip case, none of that; it just works.
- Overall (4/5) – There’s nothing revolutionary about a Flashlight app, that’s true. However, Power Button Flashlight makes it so easy to shine some light on a dark situation that over the course of a day it could save you a lot of time. Plus it’s super-easy to launch when you need a torch real quick.
Pros
- Easy to get to grips with thanks to straightforward operation and settings.
- Works great on devices with easy to use power buttons and such.
- Unlocking more features in the pro version costs very little and is super-easy to do.
- Perfect for older users not interested in fiddling with apps or quick toggles, just press the power button three times and you’re done.
Cons
- There’s a lot of choice out there, and if you’re used to one flashlight app that might be good enough for you.
- Doesn’t offer flash or strobe options as far as I can tell.
All-in-all, Power Button Flashlight does exactly what it promises to, and it does so with little to no fanfare; it just works. This makes it much, much easier to summon a flashlight on your device, and there are no fancy settings or anything of the sort that get in your way. There are options you can tweak if you want, but the defaults are fairly good here, and upgrading to the pro version is inexpensive and painless. If you’re frustrated with opening your phone, finding the toggle or an app just to light up the LED on your device, then Power Button Flashlight is the app for you.