By Rajesh Pandey
Publication Date: 2026-09-30 04:58:00
Despite all the hype Google built around the Pixel 11 Pro’s HiLight feature, it turned out to be a dud. In its current state, it acts as a glorified LED notification, which, worse, only works for two types of notifications. The next big Android 17 Pixel Feature Drop in December will make HiLight a bit more useful by adding support for one more notification type.
As of now, HiLight on the Pixel 11 Pro only glows when you are speaking with Gemini or receive a call from one of our favorite contacts. That’s it. There are no other customization options.
The latest Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6.1 for the Pixel 11 family adds notification support for “Messages from favorites.” As the name suggests, enabling this toggle lets HiLight glow when you receive a message from one of your favorite contacts. You can also assign a specific glow color to each favorite contact.
Admittedly, this is not a massive new addition that will suddenly make HiLight on the Pixel 11 Pro more useful. But it’s an…
