--- title: Capacitor Torch Plugin for Android & iOS description: Control the device's flashlight (torch) in your Capacitor app, enabling or disabling it as needed. Supports Android and iOS. tags: - Android - iOS search: boost: 2 faq: true github_repo: capawesome-team/capacitor-plugins npm_package: "@capawesome/capacitor-torch" --- # Capacitor Torch Plugin Capacitor plugin for switching the flashlight on and off.
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## Features The Capacitor Torch plugin is one of the most complete flashlight control solutions for Capacitor apps. Here are some of the key features: - 🖥️ **Cross-platform**: Supports Android, iOS, and Web. - 🔦 **Torch control**: Enable, disable, and toggle torch/flashlight. - ✅ **Availability check**: Check if torch is available on the device. - 🌐 **Web support**: Uses MediaStream API for web torch control. - 🤝 **Compatibility**: Works alongside the [Barcode Scanning](https://capawesome.io/docs/sdks/capacitor/mlkit/barcode-scanning/) and [Light Sensor](https://capawesome.io/docs/sdks/capacitor/light-sensor/) plugins. - 🔁 **Up-to-date**: Always supports the latest Capacitor version. Missing a feature? Just [open an issue](https://github.com/capawesome-team/capacitor-plugins/issues) and we'll take a look! ## Use Cases The Torch plugin is typically used whenever an app needs to control the device's flashlight, for example: - **Flashlight features**: Turn the flashlight on and off with a single tap in your app. - **Barcode and QR code scanning**: Let users enable the torch to scan codes in low-light environments. - **Document capture**: Improve capture quality in dark surroundings by enabling the torch. - **Signaling**: Toggle the torch to draw attention, for example as an emergency signal light. ## Compatibility | Plugin Version | Capacitor Version | Status | | -------------- | ----------------- | -------------- | | 8.x.x | >=8.x.x | Active support | ## Installation You can use our **AI-Assisted Setup** to install the plugin. Add the [Capawesome Skills](https://github.com/capawesome-team/skills) to your AI tool using the following command: ```bash npx skills add capawesome-team/skills --skill capacitor-plugins ``` Then use the following prompt: ``` Use the `capacitor-plugins` skill from `capawesome-team/skills` to install the `@capawesome/capacitor-torch` plugin in my project. ``` If you prefer **Manual Setup**, install the plugin by running the following commands and follow the platform-specific instructions below: ```bash npm install @capawesome/capacitor-torch npx cap sync ``` ### Android #### Permissions This API requires the following permissions be added to your `AndroidManifest.xml` before the `application` tag: ```xml ``` #### Variables If needed, you can define the following project variable in your app’s `variables.gradle` file to change the default version of the dependency: - `$androidxCameraCoreVersion` version of `androidx.camera:camera-core` (default: `1.5.2`) This can be useful if you encounter dependency conflicts with other plugins in your project. ## Configuration No configuration required for this plugin. ## Demo A working example can be found here: [robingenz/capacitor-plugin-demo](https://github.com/robingenz/capacitor-plugin-demo) ## Usage The following examples show how to check if the torch is available, turn the torch on and off, toggle the torch, and check if the torch is enabled. ### Check if the torch is available Not every device has a torch, so check the availability before showing a flashlight control in your UI: ```typescript import { Torch } from '@capawesome/capacitor-torch'; const isAvailable = async () => { const result = await Torch.isAvailable(); return result.available; }; ``` ### Turn the torch on and off Enable or disable the torch. On Android, these methods require SDK 23 or newer. On the Web, you can optionally pass your own `MediaStream` with a video track via the `stream` option: ```typescript import { Torch } from '@capawesome/capacitor-torch'; const enable = async () => { await Torch.enable(); }; const disable = async () => { await Torch.disable(); }; ``` ### Toggle the torch Switch the torch to the opposite state with a single call: ```typescript import { Torch } from '@capawesome/capacitor-torch'; const toggle = async () => { await Torch.toggle(); }; ``` ### Check if the torch is enabled Read the current state of the torch, for example to display the state in your UI: ```typescript import { Torch } from '@capawesome/capacitor-torch'; const isEnabled = async () => { const result = await Torch.isEnabled(); return result.enabled; }; ``` ## API * [`enable(...)`](#enable) * [`disable(...)`](#disable) * [`isAvailable()`](#isavailable) * [`isEnabled(...)`](#isenabled) * [`toggle(...)`](#toggle) * [Interfaces](#interfaces) ### enable(...) ```typescript enable(options?: EnableOptions | undefined) => Promise ``` Enable the torch. Only available on Android (SDK 23+), iOS and Web. | Param | Type | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | **`options`** | EnableOptions | **Since:** 6.0.0 -------------------- ### disable(...) ```typescript disable(options?: DisableOptions | undefined) => Promise ``` Disable the torch. Only available on Android (SDK 23+), iOS and Web. | Param | Type | | ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | **`options`** | DisableOptions | **Since:** 6.0.0 -------------------- ### isAvailable() ```typescript isAvailable() => Promise ``` Check if the torch is available. Only available on Android, iOS and Web. **Returns:** Promise<IsAvailableResult> **Since:** 6.0.0 -------------------- ### isEnabled(...) ```typescript isEnabled(options?: IsEnabledOptions | undefined) => Promise ``` Check if the torch is enabled. Only available on Android, iOS and Web. | Param | Type | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | **`options`** | IsEnabledOptions | **Returns:** Promise<IsEnabledResult> **Since:** 6.0.0 -------------------- ### toggle(...) ```typescript toggle(options?: ToggleOptions | undefined) => Promise ``` Toggle the torch. Only available on Android (SDK 23+), iOS and Web. | Param | Type | | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | **`options`** | ToggleOptions | **Since:** 6.0.0 -------------------- ### Interfaces #### EnableOptions | Prop | Type | Description | Since | | ------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | **`stream`** | MediaStream | The stream of media to enable the torch on. **Attention**: The stream must have a video track. The facing mode of the video track must be the one that corresponds to the torch. Only available on Web. | 6.2.0 | #### DisableOptions | Prop | Type | Description | Since | | ------------ | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | **`stream`** | MediaStream | The stream of media to disable the torch on. **Attention**: The stream must have a video track. The facing mode of the video track must be the one that corresponds to the torch. Only available on Web. | 6.2.0 | #### IsAvailableResult | Prop | Type | Description | Since | | --------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------------------- | ----- | | **`available`** | boolean | Whether the torch is available or not. | 6.0.0 | #### IsEnabledResult | Prop | Type | Description | Since | | ------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ----- | | **`enabled`** | boolean | Whether the torch is enabled or not. | 6.0.0 | #### IsEnabledOptions | Prop | Type | Description | Since | | ------------ | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | **`stream`** | MediaStream | The stream of media to check if the torch is enabled on. **Attention**: The stream must have a video track. The facing mode of the video track must be the one that corresponds to the torch. Only available on Web. | 6.2.0 | #### ToggleOptions | Prop | Type | Description | Since | | ------------ | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | **`stream`** | MediaStream | The stream of media to toggle the torch on. **Attention**: The stream must have a video track. The facing mode of the video track must be the one that corresponds to the torch. Only available on Web. | 6.2.0 | ## FAQ ### Which platforms are supported by this plugin? The plugin is available on Android, iOS and Web. On Android, the `enable(...)`, `disable(...)` and `toggle(...)` methods require SDK 23 or newer. On the Web, the plugin uses the MediaStream API to control the torch. ### Why does `isAvailable` return false on my device? The `isAvailable()` method reports whether the current device provides a torch. It returns `false` on devices without a torch, for example many tablets or desktop browsers. Use this method to hide or disable your flashlight UI on such devices. ### Do I need any permissions to use this plugin? On Android, you need to add the `FLASHLIGHT` permission to your `AndroidManifest.xml` file, see the [Installation](#installation) section. No permissions are required on iOS. ### How does the torch control work on the web? The web implementation uses the MediaStream API. You can optionally pass your own `MediaStream` via the `stream` option of `enable(...)`, `disable(...)`, `isEnabled(...)` and `toggle(...)`. The stream must have a video track, and the facing mode of the video track must be the one that corresponds to the torch. ### Can I use this plugin with Ionic, React, Vue or Angular? Yes, the plugin is framework-agnostic. It works in any Capacitor app regardless of the web framework, including Ionic with Angular, React, or Vue, as well as plain JavaScript projects. ## Related Plugins - [Barcode Scanning](https://capawesome.io/docs/sdks/capacitor/mlkit/barcode-scanning/): Scan barcodes and QR codes with ML Kit Barcode Scanning. - [Light Sensor](https://capawesome.io/docs/sdks/capacitor/light-sensor/): Read the device's ambient light sensor. - [Screen Brightness](https://capawesome.io/docs/sdks/capacitor/screen-brightness/): Read and control the screen brightness. ## Newsletter Stay up to date with the latest news and updates about the Capawesome, Capacitor, and Ionic ecosystem by subscribing to our [Capawesome Newsletter](https://cloud.capawesome.io/newsletter/). ## Changelog See [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/capawesome-team/capacitor-plugins/blob/main/packages/torch/CHANGELOG.md). ## License See [LICENSE](https://github.com/capawesome-team/capacitor-plugins/blob/main/packages/torch/LICENSE).