The estimated reading time for this post is 3 minutes
Update: Phones now have the ability to act as a magnifying glass without MagLight Plus. Check out How to Use Your Phone as a Magnifying Glass for more information.
What’s the handiest app you have on your phone? If you often find yourself in the dark, one of your phone’s most useful functions may be as a flashlight. Whether you’re camping, experiencing a blackout, or getting out of bed in the middle of the night, having a flashlight on your phone can be extremely convenient.
Your two primary sources of light on your phone are the light for your phone’s camera flash and the light on your phone’s screen. The app Mag Light Plus makes use of your iPhone camera’s flash and zoom features to illuminate and magnify your view.
MagLight Plus can magnify objects up to 10X so you can see things clearly in the light or dark. If you’re trying to read a menu in a dimly lit restaurant, find a small item that rolled under your couch, or see without your glasses, MagLight Plus can help you.
Opening the app lets you see the view through your iPhone’s camera lens. You can turn on the light of the camera flash by pressing the icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. To magnify, move the zoom slider from left to right. Press the camera icon to take a picture.
[warning]Using the flashlight will run down your battery on your phone very quickly! If you need to use the flashlight feature of MagLight Plus for an extended period of time, be sure to keep your phone charged. See, How to Keep Your Mobile Devices Charged when You’re on the Go! [/warning]
My Test
This past weekend I needed to replace an outlet cover in my daughter’s bedroom. I wanted to cut the electricity to her room but the circuit breaker panel is in a dark corner of our house and the breaker switch numbers are difficult to see. I used MagLight Plus to shine a light onto the panel and then zoomed in to see the switch numbers so I could flip the proper one to cut the electricity to her room.
With the electricity turned off, seeing the outlet in her darkened room became nearly impossible. I used Mag Light Plus to shine its light on the outlet. I magnified my view of the outlet cover’s tiny screw and screw hole then completed the job easily.
Availability
Mag Light Plus is available for iPhone 4/4S/5 and iPod Touch 5th generation for $0.99.
For Android users, check out Amazing Flashlight, free in Google Play.
[important]If you don’t have a camera flash on your phone you can use your phone’s screen as a flashlight. Open your Internet browser and go to a white website to turn your screen entirely white.[/important]
Your Thoughts
Have you ever struggled to see in the dark? Have you used your phone as a flashlight or magnifying glass before? What’s your handiest app? Let us know in the Comments section below!
Update
The developer of MagLight Plus just provided me with some promo codes so Wonder of Tech readers can get this app for free. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested in getting a promo code for this app.
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Uber Ice Cream
Uber, the on-demand car service, is launching on-demand ice cream today in Philadelphia and in 32 other cities around the world from 11am-5pm. By using the Uber app on your smartphone, you can summon an ice cream truck to come to your location and deliver ice cream right to you. In Philadelphia a Mr. Softee truck arrives and $25 buys you an Ice Cream Bundle (5 pieces of ice cream and an Uber Tank Top).
Use Promo Code ICECREAM for $20 off your first Uber car ride. Find out more information about Uber Ice Cream from the Uber website.
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Thanks to Wonder of Tech reader Leslie for suggesting MagLight Plus for review!
Hi Carolyn,
This looks useful. It would be handy for me putting keys in locks in the dark. I read my gas meter wrong a couple of weeks ago too! The energy company are now claiming I owe them 800 pounds. Idiots! I have photographed the meters in the past, I must remember to do that next time.
I’m trying to work on a picture for next year’s summer exhibition at the art gallery. I need a really good shot taken at the best resolution my camera will do. Then I’ll edit it and have it specially printed and mounted behind 1 cm of acrylic! My best ideas so far are buildings or a bridge over the river. I need an inspired idea!
Hi Mike, Yes, I like that you can take a photo with this app, in addition to brightening and enlarging your view.
That happened to me with the gas company in the UK, but it was 8000 GBP for one month, the month of May! Nothing would convince them that it wasn’t a reasonable bill.
I still like your images of the woods. The way you capture the light through the trees is amazing.
It sounds good. But you did not need to cut the electricity to replace a cover.
Hi Jerry, Well, that may be true for many people. But I try to be especially respectful of electricity. My bedroom when I was a child was struck twice by lightning. I know, that’s not supposed to happen but it did to me. Luckily, I wasn’t in the room either time, but the electricity blew holes in the plaster walls both times. Electricity has been respectful of me and I try to return the favor. @-)
Wow…sounds cool…..I need to study or work overnight under the blanket…it might help me out to do my works more easily…..
Hi Aditya, Yes, that’s a great idea for using MagLight Plus! You can use this app at night to read more easily.
Yup……I’ll certainly use that……Keep sharing these awesome stuffs with us…..Cheers 🙂
Thanks, Aditya, that is the plan! 🙂
This is quite handy. I usually use my phone screen as battery light :), when I stumble around in the dark.
I never used it as a magnifying glass.
I catch myself often when I see some phone number or address on a car etc. I don’t write it down any more I just take picture.
If someone could make that into an app.
Just take picture and move number straight into your address book.
J.
Hi James, You’re right, that’s a great idea for an app! Check out my review of these apps that do just that: What’s Your Business? https://wonderoftech.com/whats-your-business/
Hats off to the developers of this app. They have have made use of the inbuilt functionality (zoom+flash) very well.You have shared yet another unique application with us Carolyn .Your blog has become one of my favorite blog as i keep discovering something new in your every posts.Keep up the good work .
Regards,
Pramod
Hi Pramod, Thank you for your kind words of praise. It does my heart good to know you enjoy The Wonder of Tech so much! I appreciate you letting me know that.
Yes, this is a brilliant use of the camera functions on the iPhone. There are many flashlight apps, but having magnification too is especially handy!
Hi Carolyn,This looks indeed very usefull.Recently the light outside my House broke. And now I just stumble around in the dark, this might be a Solution!
Hi Lukas, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, this app will definitely help you when you’re stumbling around in the dark. 🙂
Is there any danger to destroy or damage the flash in the camera when using these kind of programs for a longer time?
Hi Johan, I have never heard of that being an issue. That being said, you may not want to use MagLight Plus as your primary source of light in your life as that would definitely put a strain on your cell phone battery.
Wow, It sounds great .I have used many flash light softwares but after reading this post i think none of them is better than MagLight. It’s ability to zoom at dark is a great one .I would like to use it ! I have one doubt ! Does it suck up the battery fastly ?
Yeah, it looks like the zoom in the dark feature is the dealbreaker. Thanks for the heads up, I’ll definitely be getting hold of this app!
Hi Greenminimalism, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m glad you like this app. It can be very handy when you’re in the dark and need to see. 🙂
Hi Nithin, Yes, the battery can be drained quickly by using this app for an extended period of time. Make sure to have a power source if you need to use this app for more than a few minutes. 🙂
Cool app. This will be useful when during power outages especially during this rainy season! Keep updating us with cool things. Cheers!
Hi Yesh, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, this app is very cool. With power outages possible in thunderstorms, this app could prove very useful this summer and beyond. Just be sure to have your phone fully charged and ready to go before the storm hits!
I can see where that might come in handy Carolyn. If you’re in a dark place and can’t see what you need everyone would to whip out a convenient flashlight.
I have plenty of those and candles around the house if I ever lose electricity so I would hate to run my battery down. But at least I know which app to get just in case.
As always, Carolyn to the rescue.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, yes, though this app could give you light to help you find candles and matches in the dark. Candles can be a fire hazard, but they give much more atmosphere than an ap!
Amazing Flashlight (android) looks very similar to “Tiny Flashlight + LED” which I currently use. I’m looking forward to giving this one a try since as of yet I’ve not found an LED flashlight that’s as good as Torch which was a built in app in a Cyanogen Mod android ROM.
Kim
Hi Kim, I hope you enjoy Amazing Flashlight. The app performs quite a few functions and is free!
I tried it and immediately went back to my original app. My original app keeps the screen mostly dark, with night visible buttons to select what you want, before you turn things on. The app you recommended makes the screen blinding white (if you’re in the dark) with day-visible buttons, which totally wrecks my night vision while I’m trying to turn on the thing I need on. I tend to use my LEDs as a flashlight when going to the car in the dark, etc… and that means my night vision working too is important. Definitely going back to my original app.
Hi Kim, Sorry you didn’t like the app I recommended. At least it was free! The important thing is that you found one that you like that works will for you.
I’ve used my phone as a flashlight many times before…it really comes in handy. I do like the zoom feature with MagLight Plus though.
Hi Frank, Yes, there are plenty of free flashlight apps available, but the magnification really makes a big difference.