GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR Notification lights are expected to return to Android phones with “Pixel Glow.”
Google has been secretly working on lights that could illuminate when you receive a notification or use Gemini.
Newer clues affirm the feature’s presence and mention the term “Pixel Lights,” suggesting that could be the feature’s marketing name.
About a decade ago, notification LEDs were among the most beloved features on Android devices, but faded as manufacturers moved to sleeker bezels on phones. While there have been attempts to reproduce the same effects using the phone’s flash, colorful rings around selfie cameras, and even bespoke secondary displays, the feature hasn’t quite returned to the mainstream. That could change soon with future Pixel devices, as Google appears to be working on a special light feature, called Pixel Glow, that would work alongside Gemini.
In the recent past, we’ve seen Pixel Glow mentioned in Android’s code, and have now come across another mention of the various colors the light could offer.
We’ve recently discovered new hints suggesting that future Pixel phones could feature a “color LED,” which furthers our interest in the mysterious Pixel Glow feature we learned about recently.
We spotted the following strings hinting at the LED in the code of the Pixel Diagnostics app, which is designed to troubleshoot Pixel devices.
Code Copy Text <string name="color_led_title">Color LED Check</string <string name="color_led_description">The LED lights will turn into red, green and blue in order. Please flip the device to observe.</string> <string name="color_led_image_description">A lightbulb that will change color in the test.</string>
As you can see, the strings point to potential text the app could use to diagnose whether the LED is not working as intended. Here, the “lightbulb” likely refers to a lightbulb-shaped button that might invoke the menu for testing the LED or changing its colors.
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