Notification light
How to Use the Pixel 11 Pro HiLight Ring for All Notifications
By the llcloud team 5 min read
Quick answer
HiLight is the LED ring around the camera flash on the Pixel 11 Pro, Pro XL and Pro Fold. Google only lights it for calls from favourite contacts and for Gemini. To make it glow for any app's notifications, in a color per app, install AuraGlow and set it up with Wireless debugging on the phone itself. No PC or root is needed, and USB debugging should stay switched on so the light survives Wi-Fi changes.
The Pixel 11 Pro brought back something people had missed for years: a real notification light. HiLight is a ring of eight LEDs wrapped around the camera flash, so you can see it with the phone face down on a table. The catch is how little Google lets it do. Here is what HiLight does on its own, how to make it light for every app, and what to watch out for.
What does Pixel 11 Pro HiLight do out of the box?
According to Google, HiLight glows when one of your chosen contacts calls and when you are talking to Gemini hands-free. You can assign colors to the people who matter most, so the glow tells you who is calling without turning the phone over.
That is the whole list as of October 2026. Messages, emails, deliveries and reminders do not light it. The built-in settings are in the Settings app, and the exact location may move between updates, so search Settings for "HiLight" to find them.
| Built-in HiLight | With an app such as AuraGlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Calls from favourite contacts | Yes | Keep Google's setting on |
| Gemini hands-free | Yes | Keep Google's setting on |
| Any app's notifications | No | Yes |
| Color per app | No | Yes |
| Color per contact in messaging apps | No | Yes, with Pro (BETA) |
| Setup | None | Developer options and Wireless debugging, on the phone |
HiLight is on the Pixel 11 Pro, Pro XL and Pro Fold only. The standard Pixel 11 has no ring. If that is your phone, our guide to getting a notification light on Android covers screen-based options that work on any Pixel.
How do I make HiLight light up for every app?
AuraGlow is a Google Play app that drives the HiLight ring for any app you pick. Each notification lights the ring in that app's icon color, or a shade from your wallpaper. Android only lets its own developer tools reach the ring, so setup uses Wireless debugging, done entirely on the phone.
Setting it up
- Install AuraGlow on your Pixel 11 Pro, Pro XL or Pro Fold running Android 17.
- Unlock Developer options: open Settings > About phone and tap Build number seven times.
- Connect to Wi-Fi, then turn on Wireless debugging in Settings > System > Developer options. AuraGlow walks you through each step.
- Tap Pair device with pairing code and type the code Android shows into AuraGlow. No computer and no cable.
- Pick your apps. Each one gets a color, and a test light confirms the ring is working.
AuraGlow asks only for notification access and permission to post its own notifications. It reads notifications to choose the light and never sends their content anywhere.
Keep USB debugging on
This is the one step people skip and regret. Android switches Wireless debugging off whenever your Wi-Fi changes and after every restart, and when it goes off, the light stops. If USB debugging stays on in Developer options, a Wi-Fi change no longer stops the light. You do not need to plug anything in, the switch only has to stay on.
After a restart, AuraGlow usually turns Wireless debugging back on by itself when you are on a Wi-Fi network you allowed before. When it cannot, it posts a notification asking you to switch it on once. With root, the light returns on its own after every restart. Shizuku also works, but it needs starting again after each restart.
What do the free and Pro versions of AuraGlow include?
The free version lights the ring for any app in one color per app, with the Pulse pattern, a brightness slider, per-app on and off, Do Not Disturb support, a Battery Saver pause and a one-hour pause.
Pro is a one-time purchase that adds:
- Per-contact colors (BETA) in WhatsApp, Messages, Telegram, Signal, Messenger and Instagram
- A custom color per app, nine palettes and Rainbow
- Twelve more patterns, including Breathe, Comet, Chase, Spin and Heartbeat
- Several apps at once, splitting the ring or giving one LED to each app, up to eight
- Face-down only mode, so the ring lights only when you would actually see it
- A camera light while any app has the camera open, and a charging indicator from green to red
- Auto-dismiss, quiet hours and battery-aware brightness
Is it safe to run the HiLight LEDs this much?
Google designed HiLight for occasional glows, and lighting it for every notification is a heavier load. AuraGlow keeps every light short by design and lets the ring rest for half of every ten minutes. These limits are fixed in the app and no setting can turn them off. It also stops below a battery level you set.
Are there other HiLight apps?
Yes. HiLight Studio is a free, open-source app that also controls the ring and got wide coverage in August 2026. It is set up through Shizuku, and coverage at launch described installing it from GitHub. It is a good choice if you like open-source tools and do not mind the extra setup.
AuraGlow is on Google Play, sets up with a pairing code on the phone, and adds per-app and per-contact colors, face-down mode and the built-in rest periods. Try whichever suits you. Both need Developer options, because that is the only door Android leaves open to the ring.
What if I also want a light on the front of the screen?
HiLight is on the back, which is ideal face down and invisible face up. AuraDisplay draws a ring around the front camera or a glow along the screen edge on the lock screen and Always-On Display, and it runs on Pixel phones too. Read what Always On Display can and cannot do to see how it behaves with the screen off, or our guide to edge lighting on any Android phone.
Like any app that works in the background, a notification light can be closed by Android's battery limits. Our explainer on why Android kills background apps covers what to change if the light ever stops.
Sources
Questions
Which Pixel phones have HiLight?
The Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. HiLight is a ring of LEDs around the camera flash on the back. The standard Pixel 11 does not have it. If you have a phone without HiLight, a screen-based light such as AuraDisplay can draw a ring around the front camera or a glow along the screen edge instead.
Can HiLight light up for WhatsApp or other apps?
Not with Google's own settings. As of October 2026, HiLight lights for calls from contacts you pick and for hands-free Gemini. Third-party apps can light it for any app's notifications. AuraGlow does this from Google Play, with each app in its own color, and Pro adds per-contact colors in WhatsApp, Messages, Telegram, Signal, Messenger and Instagram as a BETA feature.
Do I need root or a PC to control HiLight?
No. Android only lets its own developer tools reach the HiLight ring, but those tools can be used right on the phone. AuraGlow walks you through turning on Developer options and Wireless debugging and typing in a pairing code. No cable or computer is involved. Root and Shizuku are optional. With root, the light comes back by itself after every restart.
Why does the HiLight light stop after I change Wi-Fi?
Android switches Wireless debugging off whenever Wi-Fi changes and after a restart, and that stops any app driving the ring through it. Keep USB debugging switched on in Developer options and a Wi-Fi change will not stop the light. You do not need a cable, the switch just has to stay on. After a restart, AuraGlow usually turns Wireless debugging back on by itself.
Can lighting HiLight all day damage the LEDs?
AuraGlow keeps every light short by design and rests the ring for half of every ten minutes, and no setting in the app can override those limits. It also pauses in Battery Saver, stops below a battery level you choose, respects Do Not Disturb, and can go dark for an hour on request.
