Scanner and inventory apps
A light toggle next to the scan button helps users read labels, serial numbers and meters in warehouses, cellars and parking garages. Test on your devices whether the light stays on while the native scanner camera is open.
Where a light button earns its place
Field, outdoor and event apps
Inspection checklists for technicians, hiking and camping guides, staff checking tickets at a dark entrance. The light sits on the screen where the work happens.
Accessibility helpers
A large, clearly labeled light button for users who need light to read a menu, a sign or a printed document. The WebViewGold docs list accessibility as a use case.
Games and scavenger hunts
Light as a signal or reward in a quiz, escape-room or scavenger-hunt app. Keep effects slow; rapid flashing is uncomfortable and can be risky for photosensitive users.
Prompt for Claude Code
Paste this into Claude Code to implement the web-app side. Review the result, publish, then test inside the WebViewGold app.
Prompt for Claude Code
Prompt for Claude Code: Read the flashlight section of https://www.webviewgold.com/llms-full.txt. Then 1) add enableTorch() and disableTorch() to lib/native.ts (window.location.href to enableflashlight:// and disableflashlight://), active only when navigator.userAgent contains my custom WebViewGold token; 2) build a LightToggle with aria-pressed and a visible label, placed on the scan screen; 3) switch the light off on route changes and when the page becomes hidden; 4) hide the toggle when the user agent contains my iPad token; 5) draft the camera purpose string and a one-paragraph App Review note describing where the light is used; 6) add tests and record in CLAUDE.md that these are fire-and-forget calls with no status read-back.
With a good optimized version of your web app you can have a stunning mobile app within a couple of minutes. Additionally to that the customer service is very nice and very helpful! I can just recommend WebViewGold :-)
Add a light toggle to your web app
About 15 minutes.
Add one toggle with a clear state
Inside the app it navigates to
enableflashlight://ordisableflashlight://. In a browser, hide it: websites cannot switch the flashlight reliably across browsers.Detect the app
Set a custom user agent containing a token such as WebViewGold (
useragent_iphoneanduseragent_ipadin Config.swift,USER_AGENTin Config.java) and show the button only when it is present. A distinct iPad user agent lets you hide it on iPads without a flash.Remember the state yourself
The docs describe on and off commands, not a status read-back. Keep the state in the web app and reset the label when the page loads.
Turn it off when the user leaves
Call
disableflashlight://when the user leaves the screen, so the light does not drain the battery in a pocket. On iOS, trigger one bridge call per tap rather than several in the same script.Check the permissions
The docs ask for the camera permission entries (Info.plist on iOS, AndroidManifest.xml on Android), because the torch is part of the camera hardware. On iOS,
kFlashLightEnabledin Config.swift must not be false, or the calls are blocked.
A toggle that hides itself in the browser
Pure front-end code; nothing in your backend changes.
javascript
// Custom user agent containing "WebViewGold" set in Config.swift / Config.java
var IN_APP = navigator.userAgent.indexOf("WebViewGold") !== -1;
var lightOn = false;
function initLightButton(btn) {
if (!IN_APP) { btn.hidden = true; return; } // browsers: no torch control
btn.addEventListener("click", function () {
lightOn = !lightOn;
window.location.href = lightOn ? "enableflashlight://" : "disableflashlight://";
btn.textContent = lightOn ? "Light off" : "Light on";
btn.setAttribute("aria-pressed", String(lightOn));
});
}
// call when the user leaves the screen (route change)
function lightOffOnLeave() {
if (IN_APP && lightOn) { lightOn = false; window.location.href = "disableflashlight://"; }
}Store review: what to expect
- Apple Guideline 4.3(b) names flashlight apps among well-established categories: new ones are not accepted unless they offer a meaningfully different experience. Ship the light as a helper inside a real workflow, never as the main feature. See Guideline 4.3 explained.
- Write a specific camera purpose string ("to turn on the flashlight while you scan labels"), not a generic sentence. See permissions and purpose strings.
- If the app uses the camera for nothing else, tell the reviewer in the review notes where the light button is, so the camera permission does not look unused.
- Avoid strobe or SOS blink effects with fast intervals. They can trigger photosensitive reactions and look like a gimmick in review.
Frequently asked questions
Can a website turn on the flashlight?
Not reliably across browsers. Inside a WebViewGold app, enableflashlight:// and disableflashlight:// switch the torch on iOS and Android.
Will Apple accept an app whose main feature is a flashlight?
Very unlikely. Guideline 4.3(b) lists flashlight apps among well-established categories that need a meaningfully different experience. As one helper inside a scanner, inventory or field-service app, the light is no problem.
Why do I need a camera permission for the light?
The torch is part of the camera hardware, and the WebViewGold docs ask for the camera permission entries in Info.plist and AndroidManifest.xml. Write the purpose string so it mentions the light.
Can my Claude Code app read whether the light is on?
The docs describe only the on and off commands. Keep the state in the web app and switch the light off when the user leaves the screen.
Does the flashlight work on iPad?
Only on iPad models with a rear flash; many iPads have none. Give iPads their own user agent (useragent_ipad) and hide the button there, or show a friendly message.
Three ways to get your app into the stores
Same result, different amount of work on your side. All three come with the approval guarantee and 24/7 human support.
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