What do you want Google's Pixel Glow lights to do?

Earlier this week, we reported that Google was working on a laptop revival, as well as new Pixel Glow lights coming to phones. But what do you want it to do?

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In Android 17 Beta 4, we saw evidence that a new Pixel laptop is in the works, but this new “Pixel Glow” feature has me even more intrigued.

Google’s initial code describes the feature as using “subtle light and color on the back of your device to notify you of important activity when you’re looking down.”

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However, it currently has only two known uses:

Calls from loved ones: Subtle lights when your favorite contacts call you
It speaks to Gemini: Hands-free interaction using visual feedback

They both seem useful, but I feel like the door is open to other ideas.

First, Google could revive the idea of the classic notification LED, potentially allowing the user to customize what the lights do when certain types of notifications come in. It was pretty standard on Android phones, and I’d love to see it go back. Another thought that crossed my mind was the charge status – it would be pretty sweet to have the lights show your charge status from a distance, as long as it has an activation mode for overnight use. Both of these are perhaps the most useful methods, and nothing has found its way to making Glyph lights useful, and I can see Google doing something not so different.

I’m glad to see that Google has some ideas on how to use this. Getting visual feedback from the Pixel Glow lights while talking to the Twins is as cool as the smart speaker, and lighting effects for your favorite callers is a step towards replacing that notification LED.

But as mentioned, I feel the door is open here. So I’ll turn the floor over to you. Let us know what you think in the comments to this post you I want to see from “Pixel Glow”.

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