A better flashlight shortcut is needed

[Almeuit]

What are "lumos" and "nox"? I say "flashlight on" and "flashlight off" to turn mine on & off.

It's from Harry Potter.

Basically just Google being funny. You can use the normal on and off or the Harry Potter version.

 

[Moo Cow]

Apparently you've never used a recent Motorola device. Yes, swiping down and hitting the button is easy, as is the voice command. But dang, the Motorola gesture commands were amazing and super convenient.

I was hoping that when Google kept all those Moto patents they'd being some of that stuff to the pixels. One big thing I miss from my Moto Xs and force.

This, exactly. I don't think people understand this unless they have truly used it. After using the karate chop on two phones for the past few years, and then doing it out of habit on this one and the light not coming on, it is an adjustment I wish I didn't have to make.

 

[Mike Dee]

This, exactly. I don't think people understand this unless they have truly used it. After using the karate chop on two phones for the past few years, and then doing it out of habit on this one and the light not coming on, it is an adjustment I wish I didn't have to make.

The post you are quoting was directed at me and incorrect. Most of my past phones were Moto. I'm very familiar and used all Moto features. The karate chop you're quoting is cute but it actually caused people to drop phones.

 

[Moo Cow]

The post you are quoting was directed at me and incorrect. Most of my past phones were Moto. I'm very familiar and used all Moto features. The karate chop you're quoting is cute but it actually caused people to drop phones.

If I was speaking to you, I'd have said your name directly, or quoted your post like this. You were not the only one that gave other options in this thread, so to insinuate I was directing something to you specifically is inaccurate.

 

[Almeuit]

This, exactly. I don't think people understand this unless they have truly used it. After using the karate chop on two phones for the past few years, and then doing it out of habit on this one and the light not coming on, it is an adjustment I wish I didn't have to make.

I've used it and can agree the chop is very useful.

I just don't think it's something you can find without some 3rd party intervention. It's a Motorola thing. Just like some things are Samsung only.

 

[Mike Dee]

If I was speaking to you, I'd have said your name directly, or quoted your post like this. You were not the only one that gave other options in this thread, so to insinuate I was directing something to you specifically is inaccurate.

I meant the post you were quoting by osubeavs728....I'm not insinuating anything.

 

[Almeuit]

Everyone chill out. Sheesh. We are all here to help out. .

 

[PowrDroid]

The karate chop you're quoting is cute but it actually caused people to drop phones.

<eyeroll>

 

[Lilybell2]

I just use a light squeeze to invoke the Assistant, then say "lumos" or "nox," whichever is appropriate. That's very quick and easy to do.

 

[mmcclure0453]

Over 11MB download size for a flashlight app. No thanks.

I've got 128gb of storage. I don't care about 11mb. Works well for me.

 

[Ca_lvn]

Well after reading the last few posts I just said ok Google turn on flashlight and she did and also turned it off for me thank you Google

 

[PowrDroid]

I've got 128gb of storage. I don't care about 11mb. Works well for me.

I think the problem isn't storage space on your phone, it's what else besides turning on your flashlight is the app doing in the background requiring it to have 11MB? Does a flashlight app need to access your contacts? No.

 

[Mike Dee]

<eyeroll>

This is an eyeroll

 

[mmcclure0453]

I think the problem isn't storage space on your phone, it's what else besides turning on your flashlight is the app doing in the background requiring it to have 11MB? Does a flashlight app need to access your contacts? No.

Only access that it asks for in permissions is camera. Which I have turned off. Somewhere else it would be accessing things that I can't see?

 

[mmcclure0453]

I did find this but that's it. Should I be concerned with any of it?

 

[sixty_four]

I think the problem isn't storage space on your phone, it's what else besides turning on your flashlight is the app doing in the background requiring it to have 11MB? Does a flashlight app need to access your contacts? No.

Exactly. An 11MB flashlight app raises concerns that it's over-engineered, poorly-implemented or too invasive. Or any combination of those things.

 

[mmcclure0453]

Exactly. An 11MB flashlight app raises concerns that it's over-engineered, poorly-implemented or too invasive. Or any combination of those things.

So should I be concerned with anything that is shown on the screenshot?

 

[LeoRex]

Well, Google usually treads lightly when it comes to stuff like this. They keep it simple, sometimes to a fault... Especially on a feature that an OEM already has. Here, it's probably a question of them not putting a high priority on a gesture to launch the flashlight, especially since you can get to it via a quick toggle.

 

[e30ernest]

I did find this but that's it. Should I be concerned with any of it?

I'm personally not too concerned with the permissions it asks though. Seems reasonable to me:

Camera - Needs this access to turn on the LED of the rear camera.
receive data from Internet - Uses this to display ads when you're configuring the app.
view network connections - This one is what I am not sure of. To check for connectivity?
full network access - again, for ads?
run at startup - It didn't have this before, but then I had to run the app everytime I restarted the phone. This time, it just starts in the background.
draw over other apps - For activating the screen "flashlight"
control vibration - The app gives a vibrate feedback when turning the flashlight on or off.
prevent device from sleeping - Keeps the screen on while the flashlight is active. Doesn't seem to run in the background while the device is asleep.

As to why it needs 11MB, I don't know. It has still been a problem-free app for me these past 2 years so I'm not complaining. Unless there is a better alternative I'm using it.

 

[hal1]

"ok Google, lumos"

Or just about as Quick, Squeeze the phone to open the assistant then say lumos. The nice thing about using the system to open the flashlight, is that the turn off flashlight button is right there also