Google is giving the Pixel 11 Pro’s HiLight a much-needed boost

Pixel 11 Pro HiLight was marketed as one of its key features. It shines when you’re on a call or when Gemini is running in the background, but unfortunately it seems to dim the Pixel’s flash. While Google can’t fix the flash issue, it’s working to make HiLight more useful for Pixel users.

With Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6.1 update, the HiLight LED turns on when you receive a message from your favorite contacts (h/t) 9-5 Google). It’s no surprise, as yesterday we spotted evidence of messaging integration alongside the new HiLight colors. It’s worth noting that QPR2 Beta 6.1 doesn’t add any new colors for the HiLight LED; they may come in a later update.

You can find the New Posts option in the Manage Experiences section Settings > System > HiLight. You can also manually enable or disable HiLight for calls and messages for individual contacts by going to their contact page.

It’s surprising that it took Google this long to introduce message support for HiLight, and it’s surprising that the new colors haven’t arrived yet. Google needs to speed up the release of new HiLight features, otherwise users may start viewing HiLight as a novelty instead of a useful feature.

The Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6.1 update is now available and can be installed on the Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL or Pixel 11 Pro Fold to try out the new HiLight options. QPR2 is expected to be permanently assembled in December.