In addition to the new chipset, camera updates and Gemini Intelligence, the Pixel 11 Pro has been given a little boost, no less enthusiastically: the HiLight RGB light module on the back.
Before Google announced the feature, I was actually excited and thought about all the possible use cases; the light could have been a subtle notification bar for users that doesn’t force them to unlock the phone right away. However, Google has tied the hardware to two use cases: Gemini interactions and calls from your favorite friends.
That’s exactly why tech content creator @Dhananjay_Tech (DhananjayBhosale) created an app HiLight Studiowith a simple introduction: unlock the true potential of HiLight by opening it up to third-party applications and letting you have fun with it. After spending a few days with the app on a Pixel 11 Pro XL, I have some thoughts, both about what HiLight can actually do and how much Google has let it go.
This is where HiLight Studio comes in
On the home page, you can try out a lot of HiLight effects. The Rainbow effect is the closest to what we have seen in promotional materials so far, the modules light up in a rotating gradient. You can also choose from five additional effects: Random, Comet, Pulse, Breathe and Wave. While this page is called Live (marked at the bottom of the screen), the Style page on the right allows you to enable HiLight as an always-on light.
You can also choose different ways to light the LED modules, including gradient (by choosing the start/end color), breathing appearance (by setting the timing per cycle) and more.
There’s also an Apps section where you can customize how the HiLight module lights up when you receive a notification from an app. In my case, I set Chasing green light for WhatsApp “on notification” instead of “open”. Likewise, you can create per-app rules for Instagram, Messenger, Teams, Gmail, or Slack.
This is where the hardware finally makes sense
In my opinion, this is one of the most intuitive and natural use cases for HiLight, and I want it to stay that way. For what it’s worth, the app really makes Google’s HiLight module interesting. It turns the boring system implementation into something I’ve always imagined it to be: a clear notification system.
Here’s the catch: enabling wireless debugging locks me out of the banking and payment apps I use every day, for security reasons that, frankly, aren’t paranoid. So while I love what HiLight Studio does, I can’t run it full time. Secondly, and more importantly, actually getting the app to work is a really tedious process for a regular user.
Getting to the things Google left behind is more tedious than it should be
You need to install two apps: HiLight Studio and Shizuku. First, enable Developer Options by tapping the build number seven times under “About Phone” because that’s how we still do our gatekeeping settings in 2026. Next, enable wireless debugging, install Shizuku, pair it with the six-digit code in the notification, and tap “Start”.
For the uninitiated, Shizuku allows third-party apps to borrow internal system permissions, which in this case means the HiLight module. It’s only available on the Play Store on Android 16 devices, so it wasn’t even available on my Pixel 11 Pro XL running Android 17, so it was forced to sideload. However, some of you may already know that the app was recently exploited by the RedHook malware, which deters most users from installing it.
From there, open HiLight Studio, go to Setup and select Shizuku under “Privileged Access”. Also give access to notifications. You’ll find it all right and you’ll see a small “8 LED · Shizuku” confirmation, followed by a final switch next to “System has HiLight” that unlocks the effects at the bottom.
Getting here is easier said than done
do you see It took me about 150 words to explain how the process works, and it probably takes about 10-15 minutes to set it all up, assuming you’re familiar with developer options and apps like Shizuku.
The app works 70-80% of the time, but sometimes a WhatsApp notification doesn’t work. Also, restarting the phone breaks the connection between HiLight Studio and Shizuku, and it needs to be rebuilt to use the lights.
I have to give up access to the payment apps I use every day, keep wireless debugging enabled, and rely on a third-party bridge that may or may not be a security issue, all to unlock features that Google offers natively. These are not things that the average user would do on their smartphone.
For me, HiLight Studio proves what Google is missing
I really appreciate the creator of this app as it allows users to discover the true potential of HiLight. However, a third-party app can’t beat a native, system-wide implementation that would make the feature much more useful and valuable to everyone, not just enthusiasts.
The app simply proves that the hardware is capable of much more than what Google currently allows, and that’s the most important thing. If anyone at Google is reading this, I sincerely hope they’re planning to add some fun HiLight functionality to one of the upcoming Pixel Drops, because otherwise it seems like a missed opportunity.
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