A new Pixel Glow feature might be the Google Pixel 11s secret weapon

Date:
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:18:24 +0000

Description:
The Google Pixel 11 series might feature RGB lights on the back to alert you of notifications.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Mention of a 'Pixel Glow' feature has been found in an Android 17 beta This feature would seemingly use colored lights on the back of the phone to alert you to notifications It would likely require dedicated hardware, so might be
a Pixel 11 feature Its getting ever harder for phones to differentiate themselves from one another, but Google might have come up with a way to help the Pixel 11 series stand out from at least most of the competition.

Its secret weapon might be something called Pixel Glow, which Android Authority has found mention of while digging around in the latest Android 17 beta . The site found a screen which you can see below detailing that Pixel Glow uses subtle light and color on the back of your device to inform you of important activity when its face down.

So, it sounds like this feature would use dedicated colored lights to alert you to notifications, and reading between the lines, it might be possible for different colors or patterns to notify you of different things, so you can tell what kind of notification your phone has received without picking it up. Article continues below You may like Google Pixel 11 design leak may have revealed a camera bar change The 6 best Google Pixel 10 upgrades coming in
the next Pixel Drop update Google is about to launch the Pixel 10a but I wouldnt buy it (Image credit: Android Authority) You can already use the
Flash notifications feature to have the cameras flash alert you when you have a notification, but Pixel Glow sounds like it will be more advanced than
that. Strings of code found by Android Authority also suggest this feature will work with Gemini in some way, and note that the device must have
hardware lights," which presumably counts out existing Pixel phones. A
Nothing Phone rival? But exactly how light-filled the back of Pixel 11 models might be, or how capable these lights will be, remains to be seen. We doubt Google will go full gaming phone and match the number of RGB lights featured on those, but Pixel Glow might perhaps have some similarities to the Glyph lighting system found on most Nothing phones.

Regardless, it certainly sounds different from anything found on phones from mainstream rivals like Samsung and Apple , and early reactions to the idea seem mostly positive, with people over on Reddit saying things like RIP Nothing Phone and This is cool. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Still, how cool Pixel Glow will actually be remains to be seen, but it certainly leaves us intrigued. Today's best Google Pixel deals Contract Deals Sim Free Google Pixel 10 Pro 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB
data 60 upfront 43 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Google Pixelsnap Charger with Stand * Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 (Porcelain) Google Pixel 10 Pro XL 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 5GB data 50 upfront 31 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 50 upfront 44 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Google Pixel 10a 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 30 upfront 36.50 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/google-pixel-phones/a-new-pixel-glow-feature- might-be-the-google-pixel-11s-secret-weapon


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)