Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight Notification Ring Exposed as Software-Limited Feature

The Pixel 11 Pro's new rear visual alert ring, called HiLight, has been dissected in a recent teardown by Phone Repair Guru. The feature, which replaced the infrared temperature sensor on previous Pixel generations, uses eight physical RGB LEDs surrounding the camera flash to provide notifications.

Although Google initially announced that HiLight would support text messages and third-party app integration, these features are currently missing at launch. Users can only customize the ring with five preset colors, without any option for a red color.

The teardown revealed that the HiLight module is actually capable of displaying a wide range of colors, thanks to the eight surface-mount LEDs arranged in a circle around the camera flash. Each LED contains distinct red, green, and blue diodes, proving that Google installed RGB LEDs.