Most modern smartphones have a flashlight. We are so used to it and expect to find it there that we take it for granted, but when we need that blessed light like in a dark alley or to find the keys in front of our house door, we quickly fidget our way to find it and feel relieved when the light keeps our fears away, well whatever they are.

Switching on the flashlight might sound simple and straight forward, but read on as we enlighten you (pun intended) with a list of methods you can use to brighten your ambience.

Depending on your phone`s model and software, there are more than one convenient ways to switch on that flashlight, which are baked into the Android system.

Via the Quick Settings

One of the easiest ways to toggle your flashlight is by using the quick settings.

From the top of your display, swipe down to see the settings drop down menu. Depending on where your flashlight icon is situated, could be that you would need to swipe down a second time or swipe sideways on the menu if the icon is say on the Settings second page.

Once you find the flashlight icon, all you need to do is tap on it to switch it on, and tap once again to switch it off once you are done using the light.

Asking the Google Assistant

The quick settings then, as aforementioned, is a very easy procedure to perform, but what if your hands are busy? Well, you summon the beloved Google Assistant, that`s what you do.

Most Android phones have the virtual helper embedded or pre-loaded, but if you don`t have it on your smartphone, you can always download and install it as an app from the Play Store. Remember to enable the magic words `Hey Google` or `OK Google` to wake up your assistant whenever you need it.

Good to know that the Google Assistant works also when your device is locked as long as it is running on Android 8.0 or later.

So, all you need to do now is to set the hotkey within the Google Assistant, summon it with the usual `Hey Google` or whatever you opted for, the Assistant should pop up on your display, and then ask for the flashlight to turn on. Once done, beckon the virtual assistant again to switch it off.

If you are shy (don`t ask) to talk with the Google Assistant, you can always type in what you want once bidden, in this case type `flashlight on`.

Moreover, a toggle will also appear on your display once you ask Google Assistant for the flashlight, so you can also use that to flick on and off, but we are discussing about a situation here where your hands are busy or mucky, thus inoperable.

Using Gestures

Depending on which smartphone you are using, you can find gestures in the settings to apply for various utilities.

If you happen to have OnePlus smartphone for example, you will find a list of letters under Settings which you can link with various commands. In this case OP phones can adopt the letters O, V, S, M or W. You choose one of these under Settings/Buttons & Gestures/Quick Gestures and link it with flashlight.

Now, whenever you draw that letter on the display with your finger, say a V gesture if you chose to link the letter V, the flashlight should turn on and off.

Different smartphones have different gestures, if they hold these under the hood. For example, with certain Motorola models you can shake the device in chopping-like motion to switch on and off your flashlight. If you like the latter, you can also try and find a third-party app which offers the shaking method if it`s compatible with your device that is, however other brands will offer different gestures.

To see what your smartphone has as gestures, go and check them out under Gestures as shown above if it resembles the OnePlus, thus under Settings, or it might also be hiding in the system. In which case we suggest you Search for it on the Settings page.

Clicking the Side Button or Tapping the Back of your Phone

As already mentioned, other brands might have different type of gestures or methods to switch the flashlight on and off.

The Samsung S20 series and newer models for example enable you to customise and dedicate the device`s side button to switch the flashlight on, or the camera on, or summon the Google Assistant, among others, while Google Pixel models let you tap on the back of their phones to switch on the flashlight (available from Pixel 4a 5G and newer models), which is also cool.

By Downloading a Third-Party App (Optional)

As one can imagine there are myriads of flashlight apps in the Play Store, but we suggest that you check out reviews and compare, don`t just download the first one you find. It could be riddled with ads or worse ask for unnecessary permissions that could negatively impact your phone`s performance or disclose any important data. So, proceed with care.

Best practice is to stick with the classic ones, like say Torchie, which enables you to switch on your flashlight by using your volume slider side button, or by tapping on the app`s big red button which pops out in the middle of your phone`s display.

Utilising a Widget

Again, same recommendations go for widgets, be aware which ones to choose.

Once installed though it`s another easy short cut for your flashlight, which can be nestled nicely on your home screen for you to find it swiftly and tap on when source of light is needed.

Switching Off…

Trust you found these various methods to switch on and off that much needed Android flashlight, well, nifty.

Make sure to avoid keeping that light on for too long though, or it will impact your battery steeply.