Summary

  • Pixel phones could receive native OS-level flashlight brightness adjustment in the upcoming Android 16 QPR 1 update.
  • The update will include a Flashlight Strength slider accessible from Quick Settings.
  • Third-party flashlight apps with brightness adjustment are already available, thanks to API support since Android 13.

Google’s flagship Pixel phones haven’t always demonstrated class-leading hardware performance that would rival some of our other favorite Android devices. On the bright side, the unique software experience more than compensates for some such inadequacies. Android 16’s latest beta build rolled out last week, offering a glimpse into what Google’s upcoming Material 3 Expressive redesign will look like, but a new report suggests the OS update may fix a pain point on the hardware front too — this time with the rather dim flashlight.

A stylized render of what the Google Pixel 8 Pro is likely to look like in its white version, with the name of the phone written in the background. A while ring is highlighting the section next to the cameras.

Pixel Phones have a flashlight that illuminates photos well and is also useful in a pinch when you’re wandering in the dark. However, it doesn’t always operate at peak brightness, perhaps in the interest of self-preservation, given that cooling LEDs passively isn’t easy with the limited thermal mass of compact phones. However, Google included two APIs in Android 13 and subsequent versions that allowed changing the brightness of the LED when used as a flashlight.

The APIs spawned a flurry of third-party apps on the Play Store that improved your flashlight brightness. Google only summoned these APIs within the Camera and Magnifier apps. With Android 16 just around the corner, sleuths at the Google News Telegram channel just discovered that an upcoming software update will unlock native OS-level brightness adjustment using the same APIs and a slider. Specifically, they believe this will show up in Android 16 QPR 1.

Access brightness from the Quick Settings

Integrated OS-level slider

Android-16-flashlight-brightness-slider

Source: Google News/Telegram

The report shares screenshots of what the UI could look like. It shows a simple Flashlight toggle in the Quick Settings page, with a Flashlight Strength slider, all in accordance with Material 3 Expressive design guidelines. The slider should appear when you tap the right-hand side of a wider Quick Settings tile or long-press its smaller version, now that these tiles are resizable.

Until this change rolls out, people who regularly rely on their Pixel phone’s flashlight could install one of the following third-party apps that call these officially supported APIs. They are complete with their own fully featured Quick Settings toggle, app drawer icons, and even widgets. We are just surprised it took Google three Android iterations since the API release to implement this feature. However, it is worth noting that using the flash LED at peak brightness for an extended duration can prove detrimental to its longevity. Most of these flashlight apps already include a disclaimer about this inherent risk.