It’s really very simple. The app makes your phone light up so you can use it as a torch (or “flashlight”, if you’re an American).

Very basic, but beautiful in its simplicity. Everyone uses their phone as a torch, and it always sucks.

The screen is too dim, and it turns itself off too soon. All this app does is fix those problems, but that’s all it needs to do.

It says it takes “full advantage” of your LED light but if, like mine, your phone doesn’t have one it’ll just use the screen brightness instead.

This is fine (the screen’s pretty bright, I guess) but I can only assume it’d be a drain on your battery if you used it for more than a few moments.

The LED is definitely brighter, so if your phone has one you’re in a better position than if you don’t.

The app has ten different settings. 0 is just a constant light, 1-9 are various speeds of flashing that range from useless (1-8) to seizure-inducing (9). Perhaps other people want flashing lights on their phone, but personally I can’t imagine ever using them.

The app screen has little ads down the bottom – to offset the fact that it’s free, no doubt – but they’re small and pretty easy to ignore.

None of them compelled me to buy anything, although one of them was for a company that I had an interview with but didn’t get the job. So thanks for that reminder, Flashlight.

Plusses: It’s quick. To go from phone to torch only takes a couple of taps. And this is better than just using your normal screen to light things for two reasons: firstly, once you’ve turned the flashlight on it stays on for as long as you need it, unlike your screen.

Secondly, it really is a lot brighter. They claim that this is the “Brightest Flashlight available – Guaranteed!” and while I haven’t compared it to every other torch app out there, it’s certainly brighter than no torch.

If you happen to have a real torch with you though, you’re probably better off using that. For one thing, I find that a lot of situations where I need a torch are also situations where there’s a high risk of dropping, losing, cracking or drowning my phone.

Minuses: Well, what I just said before. If I use my phone as a torch, I am going to wreck my phone. It’s only a matter of time. Or if I don’t wreck it I’ll drop it, and the light will go off, and I’ll be unable to find it because I never bought a real torch, I just downloaded this free app.

Final thoughts: You might as well get it. Although using your phone as a torch isn’t ideal be honest, you’re going to do it anyway. Brightest LED Flashlight makes this poor decision just a little bit easier.