GoKawiilJoe Maring / Android Authority
It wasn’t too long ago that practically every Android phone had a dedicated, multicolor notification LED. Usually placed above the display, the glowing light was surprisingly useful for notifying you of messages, alerts, charging levels, and other things you needed to be aware of. As a self-proclaimed fan of notification LEDs, I loved being able to glance at my phone from a distance and tell if I needed to take action. Always-on displays on phones can replicate some of that functionality, but they’re nowhere near as discreet as a simple light.
No wonder then that Android fans have been clamoring for the return of the notification LED. As we’ve seen time and time again, design innovation tends to be cyclical. And with the Pixel 11 Pro series, Google has listened.
The company calls its take on notification LEDs “HiLight.” On paper, HiLight is a great mix of old-school Android nostalgia and modern hardware. Built into the camera bar on the Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the LED array creates subtle, colorful lights for notifications and AI status updates.
It looks great. Except, there is one big problem that becomes obvious almost immediately. Google put the lights on the back of the Pixel 11 Pro models — making them almost useless for how most of us actually use our phones.
Would you trade thicker bezels for a notification LED? 13 votes Yes, its a better location. 15 % No. I'm okay with it being on the side. 15 % No. I'm okay with Google's placement. 31 % I don't care about a notification LED. 38 %
A smarter take on the notification LED
Paul Jones / Android Authority
While the Pixel 11 Pro-series doesn’t deviate too much from the 10 Pro’s design, it does make some improvements. The redesigned camera bar sports edge-to-edge glass that flows into the metal frame. That’s also where you’ll find the HiLight LEDs tucked away. When the lights are off, they blend into the camera module. When turned on, the LEDs are designed to produce a diffused glow rather than a point source. All that to say, it’s a nice visual upgrade over the notification LEDs we’re used to.
It’s clear that Google has put some thought into the software as well. HiLight’s current primary function is serving customized alerts for phone calls from the Google Phone app and WhatsApp. When you put the phone face down on a desk, the notification lights can alert you to calls from favorite contacts. Similarly, you can assign different colors to different people. So, you can see the LED glowing a bright red when you get a call from your boss. This is all pretty basic functionality that you’d expect from a modern take on the notification LED.
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