all the buttons on his phone lit up/the phones lit up

[WilliamTaft]

Good morning, everyone.

An example sentence of "light up" in Longman Advanced American Dictionary (retired): All the buttons on his phone lit up.
Another example sentence of it in The Britannica Dictionary: When the DJ announced a contest, the phones lit up.

Do "buttons lit up" and "phones lit up" mean the same thing?

 

[Rover_KE]

Not necessarily — The buttons on my phone don't light up, but the screen does.

(There's no need for salutations to start your threads, William—just go ahead and ask your question. Besides, this is a global website, and it's only morning in certain time zones.)

 

[jutfrank]

I'd say no, they're very different. The second example means that the phones started ringing.

 

[Tarheel]

The Britannica Dictionary: When the DJ announced a contest, the phones lit up.

They were flooded with calls.