(Image source from: Techradar.com)

Google seems to be developing a new alert system called Pixel Glow. A breakdown of the recent Android 17 Beta version has shown hints about this feature, which is likely intended to light up for notifications instead of using sound when the Pixel phone is placed face down. The Pixel Glow feature is anticipated to launch with the upcoming Pixel 11 series. The company may include RGB LEDs in new Pixel devices to make this work. According to Android Authority, a breakdown of Android 17 Beta 4 has references to a new feature named “orbit. ” This report mentions an upcoming notification function called Pixel Glow, which will likely use "subtle light and color" to notify users when their phone is face down. The phone might light up for incoming calls. This feature was apparently previously known as “Light animations. " Screenshots in the report provide a description that states: “Stay in the moment without losing touch. Pixel Glow uses subtle light and color on the back of your device to inform you of important activity when it's face down. ” The codes also suggest that Gemini will play a key role in the Pixel Glow feature.

Google provided a Flash Notifications option with Android 14 that uses the screen and camera LED for alerts. The Pixel Glow feature is expected to be different from this option. The code mentions “The device must have hardware lights,” which implies that future Pixel Smartphones, likely the Pixel 11 series, will have specific RGB lighting hardware to support this feature. It also suggests there might be light effects when interacting with Gemini. However, early designs of the Pixel 11 have not shown any changes that include light effects. Google is likely to introduce the Pixel 11 in August this year, bringing improvements over the Pixel 10 lineup. The standard Pixel 11 is expected to come with a 6.3-inch LTPO AMOLED display, a Tensor G6 processor, and a MediaTek M90 modem.