[feature request] timed off, auto-on

[gessel]

Some phones have an action button that can be programmed, typically on the side, often the OEM code locks it to some OEM data gathering or otherwise monetized feature but it can generally be reprogrammed for something more useful.

A very useful action is turning on the light - either LED or white screen or both as the need for a light frequently correlates with an inability to see without said light and the tactile interface of the physical button provides affordance for non-visual interaction at a moment of enhanced merit.

Generally flashlight "apps", OEM or otherwise, require an additional action after launching to actually enable the light. This seems an obvious and unnecessary modal interruption of the user's obvious intent flow. You generally do not launch a flashlight app merely to gaze upon the beauty of the interface graphics; at least this is not the dominant user intent.

Launching to flashlight on mode and quitting to flashlight off mode would be the obvious default actions consistent with typical user intent. I believe this should be implemented and doing so makes rapid deployment of the flashlight capability via the tactile button that much faster in circumstances noted above, for example when the lights go out whilst descending stairs, the "one click" restoration of visual navigation capability could be life-saving.

However, this ease of enablement creates a problem: in-pocket deployment resulting in battery drain and unnecessary pocket warming. This problem can be significantly mitigated with a few simple capabilities which could be used individually or in combination according to the user's needs:

• Timed auto-off would prevent an accidental turn on resulting in excessive battery drain and pocket-area heating, a screen gesture difficult to accidentally pocket-trigger such as a target to target fling during the on time period could pause the countdown to off.
• Disable auto-on if proximity detector is triggered, the same gesture as above could override this sensor interlock such that the phone could be placed face-down (thus triggering the proximity sensor) whilst leaving the light on.