For the past two years, Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors have been popping up in mobile phones to help augmented reality cameras and portrait photos. For Samsung's 5G variant Galaxy The S10 also uses 3D face scanning. However, ToF can be used in a slightly different way. Developer Luboš Vonásek has created functional night vision thanks to ToF sensors, with which you can see even in total darkness.
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ToF sensors work by sending out a signal that bounces off objects and returns back. The time the signal is sent and received again is then calculated and used to determine the distance of the object from the phone. This way it works pixel by pixel so ToF sensors can create an accurate scan of objects and surroundings. Since ToF works even in complete darkness, it can also be used for night vision, as Luboš Vonásek has just shown.
Night Vision / ToF Viewer app works on Huawei P30 Pro, Honor View 20, Samsung phones Galaxy Note 10+, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, Samsung Galaxy S20+ and LG V60. The maximum night vision resolution is 240 x 180 pixels, however the latest Samsung Galaxy phones allow the use of a higher resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
According to XDA, the application works very well. You can see higher quality on Samsung phones, on the contrary, the signal from the ToF sensors reaches a longer distance with Huawei and Honor devices. No special preparations or root rights are needed to use it. On supported devices, the application works immediately without the need to make modifications. Night Vision / ToF Viewer you can download for free from the Google Play Store.
