Pixel HiLight will get upgrade, adding new features You Should Know

The Pixel HiLight feature on Google’s latest flagship phones will soon get an upgrade with expanded features.

Google launched the Pixel 11 series with a brand-new feature. HiLight, exclusive to the Pro models, is the notification light hidden within the camera flash on the back of the phone.

However, it launched with extremely limited functionality, as though Google had built the hardware side and promptly forgotten to think about what it might be able to do.

So far, you can only use it to be notified when a favourite contact is calling you or when you’re interacting with Google Gemini.

The good news is that it looks like Google is about to make HiLight more useful.

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Code spotted in the Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 suggests as such, found by Android Authority.

It appears that HiLight will be able to make use of more colours, for starters. Currently it’s limited to only five, but four more will be added. This makes sense as it was already known that the hardware was capable of more colour options.

Currently it has Teal, Yellow, Pink, Purple and White, so you should also be getting (loosely based on the screenshot below) Blue, Red and two shades of Green.

The Beta 5 code also suggests that Google will expand the feature to messages. Google mentioned this when we were briefed about the Pixel 11 series ahead of launch, but this is effectively confirmation of the new feature.

However, it’s unclear which messaging apps it will support. It’s possible it will be limited to Google Messages as the firm hasn’t spoken about adding third-party integration yet. The current calling feature on HiLight works with WhatsApp, so we assume messaging will too.

Note that although this software is out there now, it’s in beta form, so it won’t be coming to Pixel phones as a regular firmware update until later in the year – possibly in December as part of a Pixel Drop.