The Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight feature is finally useful, thanks to this open-source app

One vibe coder has unlocked the Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight feature, making it vastly more useful.

The Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight feature is essentially a notification LED, but bigger — and for some reason, Google had locked it down on launch so it only works with Gemini and favorite callers. But now, HiLight Studio can let you use your new phone's HiLight LED for any number of apps and notifications.

HiLight Studio is what the HiLight feature should always have been

Just let us use it for everything, Google

HiLight, previously known as the much better name of Pixel Glow, is the hot new feature hitting this year's Pixel Pro phones. Rumors first painted it as being similar to Nothing's Glyph system, before eventually revealing it wasn't much more than a notification LED. But then, after launch, it became clear it was even worse, as it only worked for two types of notifications.

Thankfully, YouTuber-turned-vibe coder Dhananjay Bhosale was on the case to fix this with HiLight Studio. The app allows HiLight to work with any app you want, and you can add a specific light effect for an app, so you know which app has triggered the alert.

It's a look at what HiLight should have been, and perhaps a sneak peek at what it will be once Google takes the training wheels off.

The app allows a lot of control over the HiLight system, and can use presets to set up apps in a group if you don't fancy diving into all the settings yourself.

A Quick Settings tile is included, so you can enable or disable the app without needing to open the app, and it'll also be shut off by your Do Not Disturb settings too.

It also has a lot of safety functions, too. Since HiLight isn't meant to stay on a lot (which may explain why Google has limited it so much), HiLight Studio has strong limits on how long it can be used for. The light will dim automatically after ten seconds, and if you want to use it while a specific app is open, then it will turn itself off after 30 seconds — though you can extend that through the settings if you absolutely must.

It's easy to see why people might be worried. The Pixel flashlight problem may not have been as big a blow as the Note 7 was for Samsung, but it clearly had an impact. The last thing anyone wants is their phone's silly lights setting fire to their pockets.

Safety concerns aside, this app makes HiLight a lot more useful, and a lot more like what was promised. We doubt anyone bought their Pixel 11 Pro on the basis of the HiLight system alone, because, well, it's a multi-colored flashlight. But even those who saw it as a fun bonus were probably disappointed by what it offered.

Now, HiLight Studio gives you the chance to try HiLight at its peak. You just need to spend a bit of time setting it up.