It only took Google three years to add this basic feature to Pixel phones
How the new feature works
Android 16
Receive the latest Google news
By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy
Coming soon to a Pixel near you
Pixel 6
Android 16
Google may finally be catching up with a surprisingly basic feature that Pixel owners have been requesting for years: the ability to adjust the flashlight's brightness. Found in the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, the update suggests Google is adding a native brightness slider to the flashlight tile in Quick Settings.Currently, Pixel phones only offer a simple on/off toggle for the flashlight, despite the hardware supporting variable intensity since at least the Pixel 6 . While other Android skins like Samsung's One UI, Xiaomi's HyperOS, and OnePlus's OxygenOS have supported flashlight brightness controls for years, Pixel users have had to rely on third-party apps like FlashDim—or Google's own Magnifier app—as clunky workarounds.Now, that appears to be changing. Strings found inQPR1 reference a 'Flashlight Strength' dialog, and developer Nail Sadykov has already managed to activate the feature. Once live, tapping the flashlight tile in Quick Settings will toggle it on or off, while tapping the label below the icon will open a brightness slider. A long-press may be required if the tile is shrunk.The dialog is functional, but still lacks the polish seen in Apple's implementation. That could change before its final release.It's surprising it has taken Google this long to implement a native version of something most Android users have enjoyed for years. After all, stock Android only gained support for flashlight brightness control at the API level back in Android 13 . That means the groundwork has been there for nearly two years, but Google simply hadn't bothered to implement it in its own Pixel UI.For Pixel users, this isn't just about convenience, it's about parity. Small usability touches like brightness sliders make a difference in real-world use, especially in dark environments or when trying not to disturb others. And you shouldn't have to rely on an app to have this feature.This feature will likely debut in a future Pixel Feature Drop and may arrive officially later this year on supported devices like theand newer. Combined with otherimprovements, it's one more reason Pixel users can look forward to the next update.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Phone Arena
44 minutes ago
- Phone Arena
Apple is considering buying Perplexity AI
Should Apple buy Perplexity AI? Yes, it will help No, leave Perplexity AI alone Too late, doesn't matter Yes, it will help 0% No, leave Perplexity AI alone 0% Too late, doesn't matter 0% Receive the latest Apple news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy This could help Apple Intelligence Apple Intelligence still isn't fully out across the company's devices. | Video credit — Apple Apple intelligence A force to be reckoned with Nothing is final yet, and whether Apple acquires Perplexity AI or not heavily depends on whether it is forced to break off its current agreement with Google. Google pays Apple $20 billion annually to remain the default search engine on the latter's internet browser Safari. The ongoing antitrust trial regarding this matter may see this arrangement dissolved, which will be a major blow to both such a thing happens, Perplexity AI can replace Google on Safari as an AI-powered search engine instead. Google shares fell when news about Apple's plans to acquire Perplexity AI were first reported by Bloomberg Of course, such an acquisition would be an undeniable boon for Apple's research and development of AI.— and the features it promised during WWDC 2024 — still remains incomplete. In particular, a smarter Siri digital assistant is nowhere to be found as of AI's talent could help Apple speed up its AI development and not get left behind. Apple's failures in AI have given its rivals, Samsung and Google, a clear victory. Consumers who care about AI on smartphones will, understandably, choose a Galaxy S25 or a Pixel 9 instead of an iPhone 16 . This is also why Apple is following Samsung's lead and is reportedly discussing bringing Google's flagship AI model Gemini to iPhone If Apple acquires Perplexity AI, it could once again become a force to be reckoned with. It will be able to resume its work on its upcoming smart home hub as well as smart AR glasses . Such an acquisition will be costly, but I think it would serve Apple for decades to come.
Phone Arena
5 hours ago
- Phone Arena
AT&T wins court approval to pay $177 million settlement over data breaches
Last year AT&T suffered through data breaches that exposed personal data belonging to tens of millions of the carrier's customers. That led to a class action lawsuit being filed against the wireless provider by AT&T subscribers. The nation's third-largest carrier eventually agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit for the tidy sum of $177 million and on Friday the settlement was approved by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas. Brown called the settlement fair and reasonable. There were two data breaches announced by AT&T last year with one revealed in May and the other in July. Depending on the breach involved, an AT&T customer who can show that they suffered losses "fairly traceable" to the breaches will receive a payment up to $2,500 or a payment up to $5,000. After paying off those who were victimized by direct losses, smaller payments will go out to those whose personal information was accessed in the data breaches. One of the incidents resulted in call logs being copied from a company workspace on a Snowflake cloud platform. The data copied covered six months of customer call and text data from 2022 covering almost all of the carrier's customers. In March 2024, AT&T said that it was investigating data covering 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders whose personal data was released on the dark web. AT&T said it believed the data set dated back to 2019 or earlier. Despite agreeing to the settlements, AT&T made it clear that it believes it was not at fault denying that it was "responsible for these criminal acts." The carrier claims, "We have agreed to this settlement to avoid the expense and uncertainty of protracted litigation." AT&T expects final approval of the settlement to come late in 2025 with settlement payments expected to start arriving early in 2026. The FCC is also doing detective work trying to find out why, in 2023, an AT&T cloud vendor whose contract expired a few years before, was the subject of a data breach allowing 8.9 million customers to have their data exposed. This data was supposed to have been deleted prior to the data breach. Luckily, the vendor was not responsible for storing very sensitive data and most of the information exposed was AT&T customers' bill balances. This data covered customers who were with AT&T from 2015 through 2017 and the data should have been deleted in 2017 or 2018. To settle this incident, AT&T paid a $13 million fine imposed on it by the FCC. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Phone Arena
11 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Google plans to improve Pixels by adding new features, some AI based, to Gboard
As you might recall, the Emoji Kitchen combines two different emoji at your request often with some seriously funny results. Having a page with all of your favorite mashups makes it easier to find them and they will be right at your fingertips when you want to use one. Another possible new feature discovered is called "SmartEdit," which would allow you to add, remove, or replace certain words using your voice. Just so you're aware, these edits will be sent to Google along with your editing commands and any text that is edited. Since Gboard already allows users to make vocal commands, "SmartEdit" will probably add some new capabilities to the current version of the feature. You might be able to keep your favorite emoji mashups on an Emoji Kitchen favorites list. | Image credit-Android Authority Smart Reply is the AI-powered feature that shows quick replies to messages you've received and the options are contextually correct making the response options relevant. But not every Android user likes Smart Reply and the current process of disabling the feature requires the user to go to Settings > Security & Privacy > More Security & Privacy > Android System Intelligence > Keyboard . That process seems a little too long for some, and Google apparently agrees. It is working on a much shorter method which would go like this: Settings > Corrections & suggestions . Google also hints at a way for Pixel users to "finish your task directly without app switching." The rumor mill believes that this refers to a situation when a friend texts you asking for your flight number. An upcoming feature called Magic Cue would search your Gmail inbox to find this information without having you go through all of your emails looking for the answer. Gboard might then have this information attached to your clipboard from where it is just a tap away from being included in a message to your friend. This feature is expected to debut with the release of the Pixel 10 series. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
