Google Brings Back Blinking Notification Light on New Pixel 11 Pro

Pixel 11 Pro's 'HiLight' missed its opportunity to be the perfect notification LED

The Pixel 11 doesn’t carry much of a different look, and the only major hardware change happening on the exterior could be glossed over without a second thought. Pixel 11’s HiLight hides in the camera LED and acts like a notification light when your phone is turned over. But it isn’t what I expected.

With the Pixel 11 Pro, Google Reinvents the Notification LED. Nothing Phones Already Do It Better

The new HiLight feature just feels like Google's playing on Android nostalgia to keep the diehards reeled in. Plus, it's not new, nor the best implementation.

One gimmick after another: The Pixel 11 shows me Google is fighting the wrong battle

The Tensor G6 performance figures aren't looking too hot, BUT HEY, LOOK AT THE NOTIFICATION LED ON THE BACK!

Google brings back blinking notification light on new Pixel 11 Pro

Google brings back blinking notification light on new Pixel 11 ProLegacyGoogle has unveiled the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL, its new flagship smartphones, alongside the standard Pixel 11, as the closing announcement of its Made by Google 2026 event. The two Pro models bring a larger main camera sensor, a new light-based notification feature called HiLight, and Google’s latest Tensor G6 chip. Pre-orders opened today in the US and several oth…