GoKawiilAdamya Sharma / Android Authority
TL;DR Google heavily restricted the Pixel 11 Pro’s rear HiLight LED array out of the box, limiting it to Gemini and calls from favorite contacts.
The open-source HiLight Studio app unlocks the LED’s full potential with custom app notifications, light patterns (comet, pulse, rainbow), Quick Settings toggles, and built-in hardware protection limits.
You can set up the app by sideloading its APK and granting core permissions using Shizuku over Wireless debugging.
The Pixel 11 Pro series has a new “HiLight” LED system built around the camera’s flash on the back of the device. HiLight can be used as a notification LED to let you know about calls from your favorite contacts, and it also glows when you’re having a Gemini conversation… and that’s about it. HiLight has plenty of potential, but disappointingly, Google hasn’t blessed it with much functionality out of the box. If you want more out of HiLight and are okay with taking matters into your own hands, the open-source HiLight Studio app supercharges Pixel 11 Pro’s HiLight LED so it’s actually useful.
HiLight Studio is an open-source app by YouTuber-turned-vibecoder Dhananjay Bhosale that expands HiLight’s functionality beyond just favorite calls and Gemini, allowing you to configure the notification LED to work with any app you choose. The HiLight LED can be activated either when the app sends you a notification, when it’s open, or both if you want. You can set any color for any app, or even go crazier with multiple pattern options like comet, pulse, breathe, wave, or even rainbow.
If you can’t decide which option to choose, HiLight Studio also lets you save presets and import or export them for backup and sharing. Further, you can also pull in colors from your wallpaper if you’re gunning for a cohesive look for your phone.
Beyond customization, HiLight Studio also gives you full, easy control over all its HiLight functionality. It comes with a Quick Settings tile that lets you toggle its features on and off without opening the app. It also respects your Do Not Disturb settings, and you can also set quiet hours separately. HiLight Studio also pauses its functionality when your battery drops below the level you set.
All of this control is great, but the HiLight LED array wasn’t designed to stay on continuously for long stretches, so HiLight Studio complements it with built-in safety limits. The developer notes that the LED array’s brightness will be gradually dimmed automatically if it remains on for more than 10 seconds at a time. If you’ve set the LED to turn on when an app opens, it will automatically switch off after 30 seconds by default, though you can extend this to a maximum of five minutes after clicking through a few warnings. Notification colors are capped to a minute maximum.
There’s also a global safety limit: the LED will not remain active for more than 5 minutes within any 10-minute period, regardless of your configuration. Whenever any of these safety precautions are triggered, the app also informs you about it.
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