This app brings back notification LED lights to Google Pixel phones

A blast from the past

Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones have been winning over users with a feature set that includes large screens, strong performance, and impressive cameras (now utilizing Google’s Real Tone technology). But there’s one omission that has irritated Pixel owners for a long time: the lack of a status or notification LED. Pixel 6 phones aren’t the first to go without one, and they likely won’t be the last. But fortunately, there’s now a solution for a whole range of Pixels: the aodNotifiy app.

Samsung owners will be familiar with aodNotify, as a software solution for just this issue on models including the Galaxy S10, S20, S21, and Note20. Now the app has been ported for use on Pixel phones by the developer Jawomo. He explains it was possible to bring over his low-power solution because Pixel 6 phones have “a proper Always On Display and a dedicated low power Tensor Context Hub engine”. The Tensor Context Hub allows tasks to be completed without significant demand on battery life, and Pixel 6 phones are the first to feature the Google Tensor chip. On the Pixel 5 and 4a, his app hooks into these phones' low-power solution that enables Always On Displays, ensuring a similarly neglectible impact on the battery.

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As a result of the port, Pixel users can now benefit from aodNotify’s range of features. They can pair it with the Pixel's Always On Display with time, date, and battery level if preferred, or users can opt for a variant with nothing but the emulated LED. The LED notifications can be displayed in the classic LED light style, as a circular light around the Pixel 6 camera cutout, or around the edge of the entire screen — which is very cool indeed. Alternatively, you can use the preview notification feature to see if you’ve missed anything important without waking your phone.

The aodNotify app is now in public beta for the Pixel 6, Pixel 5, and Pixel 4a, so users can expect further optimizations to arrive. The developer is also testing the product on even more Pixels. In any case, the app is available for use right now, bringing back a beloved piece of Nexus history.

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Kevin Pocock (9 Articles Published)

An Android Police contributor, Kevin is a former editor and writer for News UK, WIRED UK, Which?, The Telegraph, Den of Geek.

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