Android 5.0 ‘Flashlight Bug’ Affecting Some Nexus 5 Users
Earlier this week, we blogged about a WiFi connectivity problem some Nexus 5 users were experiencing after installing the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. While Google has yet to provide an official fix for this problem, XDA Forum members were quick to jump on board and offer help (see our post in the previous link). But there’s a new bug that’s plaguing Nexus 5 users running Android 5.0. This time it involves the flashlight.
According to AndroidPolice, if you turn on the Nexus 5’s flashlight and leave it until the system times out and forces it close, you won’t be able to reactivate the flashlight until you reboot your device. This isn’t a critical bug by any means, but it’s still an annoyance for many users who rely on their Nexus 5 as a light source. If you frequently use your Nexus 5’s flashlight to find your way around the house at night, you’ll probably find this bug to be a nuisance.
To makes matters worse, however, this issue affects the camera as well. In other words, you won’t be able to use the flashlight or camera until you reboot your Nexus 5 — assuming you left the flashlight on until it timed out. Rebooting the Nexus 5 is a relatively quick and easy process, but doing it multiple times a day due to a software error is downright frustrating.
You can test this bug on your Nexus 5 (assuming it’s running Android 5.0) by turning on the flashlight and leaving it on until it automatically goes off. Once the flashlight turns off, you shouldn’t be able to reactivate it until you restart your Nexus 5.
The good news is that you can avoid this bug by closing your Nexus 5’s flashlight manually when you are finished using it. Instead of waiting for the flashlight to time out (which triggers this bug), go ahead and close it manually. As long as you close the flashlight before the system times out, you won’t be forced to restart your Nexus 5 in order to use the flashlight and/or camera again.
There’s still no word yet on when Google will fix the flashlight issue, but Nexus 5 users can rest assured that a fix will come sooner or later. Google scours the forums frequently to identify bugs such as this, and it usually doesn’t take long for developers to create a fix.
Have you experienced the flashlight bug? Let us know in the comments section below!
