This app uses your Android phone’s LEDs to create a light show for your music

By Kyle Wiggers Published March 13, 2015

led music effect app for android nexus notification light — Image used with permission by copyright holder

On Android devices, the popularization of active display and imitators has basically negated the need for built-in LEDs. After all, what more can a blinking light tell you than a screen? Luckily, crafty developers are finding other uses for the neglected multicolored diodes. One app for Android, LED Music Effects, turns your device’s LEDs into a basic music visualizer.

The app, which requires root access to work, reflects the rhythmic punctuation of songs on your smartphone’s built-in LEDs. As the app is currently configured, a single LED alternates between three colors (up to three work synchronously).

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The developer has posted handy videos to illustrate the effect on a few different devices, one of which you can see in action below:

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LED Music Effect supports a nearly endless list of music players, including but not limited to Google Music, Spotify, Rhapsody, and Poweramp. The developer has only tested the app on a few devices, namely Sony Xperia phones, but is confident it’ll work on most smartphones.

The app is listed as a free download on the Google Play Store.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…

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