This weird Pixel feature is one of my favorite tools – too bad Google may remove it soon

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Google appears to be ditching its Pixel thermometer feature.
• Leaks show a “Pixel Glow” feature taking its place.
• The Pixel was the only flagship phone with a thermometer.

I’ve been a loyal Pixel user since the beginning, but I might be tempted to switch because Google is removing one of my single favorite features from the Pixel.

Google introduced a temperature sensor and built-in thermometer app into the Pixel 8 Pro in 2023. It was a fairly unique feature, and the Pixel was the only flagship phone to have it. It would go on to be present over the next two years on the 9 Pro, the 9 Pro XL, the 10 Pro, and the 10 Pro XL.There hasn’t been an official announcement, but if leaks hold true, it won’t be coming to the Pixel 11 Pro. 

Leaks have begun surfacing about an upcoming feature on Google phones called “Pixel Glow” — LED lights on the back of the device that keep you informed of important notifications when your phone is face down (taken straight from the latest Nothing phone). According to the leaks, Pixel Glow will be taking the temperature sensor’s place on the phone’s iconic camera bump.

One of my favorites

While it was a small feature, it was one of the more unique smartphone features and one of my favorite phone tricks.

As a parent, I used it countless times to see if my kids were running a fever. The first time I used it, I compared it to an in-ear thermometer that I had to dig through a kitchen drawer to find and found it was within 0.3 degrees. From there on, it was certainly close enough that I could just use my phone for a quick assessment instead of trying to track down the actual thermometer. 

I also used it numerous times when I was out with family or friends and someone mentioned feeling feverish, and I got shocked, “Wait, how did you do that?” responses every time. The times I used it for a quick fever check alone made it invaluable.

Beyond body temperature, I would use my phone to check the road temperature to see if it was too hot to take my dog for a walk, to diagnose that my home HVAC system wasn’t heating or cooling like it should, and a number of other cases.

I’m all for fancy LEDs, and Pixel Glow certainly seems like a way for Pixels to stand out in a market where every phone starts to look the same. But the forthcoming lights seem gimmicky at best to me. At least from the leaks so far, it seems like you’ll need to sit your phone face down, and that’s something I rarely do.

Since Pixel phones now have always-on displays, I wonder if Google couldn’t set a certain part of the front-facing screen to flash certain colors depending on notifications and accomplish the same thing. Admittedly, that would look much less cool, but it wouldn’t mean the demise of one of my favorite features.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.