Pixel HiLight: Custom Colour Glow For Your Inner Circle
Pixel HiLight: Know who’s calling without a glance
The Pixel feature that lets you put your phone face down and only alerts you with a custom light when your inner circle calls.
13 August 2026
- Stay Present: HiLight uses ambient light indicators so you can put your phone face down and focus on the moment.
- Custom Alerts: Get colour-coded light notifications only when your favourite contacts call, so you know exactly who needs your attention.
- Hands-Free Assistant: HiLight provides a visual cue when your AI assistant is active, confirming it heard your voice command without needing to look at the screen.
Whether it's at a dinner with friends, during a focused work session, or while watching a movie, we don't want to be constantly looking at our phones for alerts. Now, with HiLight, you can stay completely engaged without worrying about missing an important call.
If you are looking for a smart way to manage your notifications or want a tool that helps you stay focused, Google has designed an elegant solution. Introducing HiLight, a new Pixel-first feature that helps you thoughtfully connect only when it truly counts.
HiLight is a creative design addition to your Pixel 11 Pro phone or Pixel 11 Pro Fold that uses the LED indicators around the camera's flash to communicate with you when your phone is face down. It is a subtle, ambient, and colour-coded light notification that lets you know what is happening without forcing you to glance at your screen.
This feature works in 2 ways to help you stay present:
HiLight allows you to put your phone face down and still be alerted to calls from your most important contacts.
- Inner circle alerts: HiLight works for incoming calls from your favourite contacts. If your phone is ringing, but the light does not glow, you know it is not urgent, and you can stay focused on the conversation or task at hand.
- Colour-coded cues: You can assign a specific colour to your favourite contacts. For example, you might set a red light for your spouse and a blue light for your child’s school. If you see the red light glowing, you know exactly who needs your attention without having to flip your phone over.
HiLight also helps you engage in dynamic, hands-free communication with Gemini.
When you give your AI assistant a voice command – for example, "Hey Google, set a timer for 10 minutes" – the HiLight indicator will glow with a visual cue. This confirms that Gemini heard you and is active, so you do not have to look at your screen to check if your command registered. It is a subtle, elegant way to know your AI assistant is working for you.,
“These Google Pixel custom light alerts allow you to stay present.”
Setting up HiLight is simple and allows you to personalise your notifications so they work best for your life.
- Locate Settings: Open your phone’s main Settings app.
- Find HiLight: Navigate to the Notifications or Accessibility menu (the exact path will be clearly labeled).
- Enable the Feature: Toggle the HiLight feature On.
- Customise Contacts: In the HiLight settings menu, you will be able to select which of your Favourite Contacts trigger the light notification.
- Assign Colours: You can then assign a specific colour-coded light to each of those contacts, making it easy to identify who is calling just by the glow.
By customising these settings, you ensure that your phone only alerts you to the people who truly matter, allowing you to thoughtfully disconnect and focus on the now.
Ready when you are.
