By default the Pixel 2 LED Notification Light is disabled but it can be turned on very easily with these step by step instructions.
Google’s version of Android for the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL has a number of different ways to alert you when a new notification comes in. The company has enabled the Pixel 2 Always on Display feature by default and this is what most people will likely use. However, there’s also a lift to wake feature that will display the lock screen when you lift the phone up from a seated position.
These are two great features but there are a number of people who still prefer the LED notification light.
These LED notification lights have been used in Android for years now and it’s a convenient yet subtle way of informing you that there is a notification waiting for you. Some OEMs have chosen to not include this feature in their device in recent years though and it’s always one of the first questions that get asked when a new device is announced. So yes, the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL both have an LED notification light but it’s disabled by default.
Thankfully though, it’s very easy to enable so let me show you how it’s done.
Pixel 2 LED Notification Light
- Launch the Settings application
- Tap the Apps & Notifications option
- Tap the Notifications option again
- Then tap the Blink Light option to toggle the feature on or off
Explanation
While it may seem like there are a lot of redundant features that all do the same thing, they’re different enough to offer something unique no matter which option you choose to go with. At the end of the day, they all do simply inform you of a new notification that has come in. They just do this in different ways which can offer a variety of use cases for each of them. I’ve covered the Pixel 2 Always on Display feature already so today let’s just focus on the LED Notification Light.
Since this involves notifications, we’ll first need to launch the Settings application and then look for the Apps & Notifications option. You should see it in the top half of the screen so it isn’t very hard to find at all. Once you go into that sub menu, you’ll then want to tap another Notifications as that should be listed right below the Recently Opened Apps section. It’s here that you’ll find a number of settings and options that pertain to notifications themselves.
This is also where you’ll find the Blink Light option with its simple toggle to let you turn the feature on or off. Since Google has the always on display feature automatically enabled for the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL, it made little sense for this to be on by default as well. Personally, I’m not a fan of the always on display but I do like the Pixel 2 LED Notification Light as it is very subtle and isn’t a distraction when I have my smartphone laying on the desk.
So after I disabled the always on display, I immediately go into the Notification section of the Settings application and enabled the Pixel 2 LED Notification Light. I’m not sure why it’s blandly labeled “Blink Light” as something involving LED Notification sounds like a better name for it. Either way, this is where the feature is and it can be turned on or turned off very easily with this toggle. As demonstrated with the embedded video above, once that is enabled you can see the LED notification light right when a new notification comes in.
