Android Security Alert: Delete These Flashlight Apps Now

A smartphone flashlight.
(Image credit: Hadrian/Shutterstock)

Do you still have a flashlight app on your Android phone? Seriously, check. Yes? Then get it of it -- you don't need it, and it's probably got abilities no flashlight app should have, such as making and receiving phone calls, reading your text messages, tracking your location or changing your phone's network settings.

Avast security researcher Luis Corrons had a look at 937 Android flashlight apps in the Google Play Store and found that, on average, each requested 25 separate system permissions. Two of them, Ultra Color Flashlight and Super Bright Flashlight, requested 77 permissions, and six others requested 70 permissions or more. 

"Some of the permissions requested by the flashlight apps are really hard to explain, like the right to record audio, requested by 77 apps; read contact lists, requested by 180 apps; or even write contacts, which 21 flashlight apps request permission to do," Corrons wrote in his report, posted on an Avast blog earlier this week.

MORE: Best Android Antivirus Apps

On the upside, of the 900+ apps Corrons analyzed, only seven were found to be truly malicious. Most just showed ads. 

But many flashlight apps nevertheless have enough system privileges to be able to steal user information, disable antivirus scanning, install malicious software or get the user to click on malicious links -- if they were so inclined. And all it takes is a software update to turn a benign app into a malicious one.

Below is a list of the top 10 worst permissions takers, according to Corrons. If you have one of these, remove it. 

  • Ultra Color Flashlight
  • Super Bright Flashlight 
  • Flashlight Plus
  • Brightest LED Flashlight — Multi LED & SOS Mode
  • Fun Flashlight SOS mode & Multi LED
  • Super Flashlight LED & Morse code
  • FlashLight – Brightest Flash Light
  • Flashlight for Samsung
  • Flashlight – Brightest LED Light & Call Flash
  • 1Free Flashlight – Brightest LED, Call Screen

Honestly, you should just remove any flashlight app. All Android phones have had a built-in flashlight since Android 5 Lollipop, released in the fall of 2014. If your phone is still running anything earlier, it's time for a new phone.

Paul Wagenseil

Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy. He has also been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-haul driver, code monkey and video editor. He's been rooting around in the information-security space for more than 15 years at FoxNews.com, SecurityNewsDaily, TechNewsDaily and Tom's Guide, has presented talks at the ShmooCon, DerbyCon and BSides Las Vegas hacker conferences, shown up in random TV news spots and even moderated a panel discussion at the CEDIA home-technology conference. You can follow his rants on Twitter at @snd_wagenseil.

Latest in Mobile Apps
Google wallet app on screen
Google Wallet now lets kids to make supervised contactless payments and use digital passes — what you need to know
How to tour the Super Bowl stadium virtually with Google Maps
Google Maps glitch is purging Timeline data — what we know
Gboard app logo on mobile phone resting on a keyboard
Google Gboard redesign has already angered users — and I can see why
Waze app on iPhone in car
Forget Google Maps — Waze just got a huge upgrade that will help millions of drivers
A photo of the Apple Maps app tile displayed on an iPhone screen
Apple Maps may soon get ads, letting businesses pay to boost visibility
How to delete TikTok
TikTok confirms return to Apple and Google app stores — here’s what we know
Latest in News
Apple Watch Series 10
Future Apple Watch models could get a surprising new feature — what we know
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Monday, March 24 (#652)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #386 (Monday, March 24 2025)
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max in hand showing displays
Forget iPhone 17 — iPhone 18 could get this huge upgrade
The new Husqvarna iQ series robot lawn mower.
Husqvarna’s new robot mowers offer GPS for less
Rendered images of rumored foldable iPhone.
Foldable iPhone report just revealed key details — here's what we know