Recently, Google has finally introduced a flashlight brightness adjustment feature for Pixel phones in the latest Android 16 QPR2 beta. Users can now directly adjust the flashlight’s intensity from the quick settings panel, eliminating the need for third-party apps.
In this new version, the flashlight's quick settings icon has been redesigned to an expandable format. Clicking on it opens a dialog box named Flashlight Intensity, featuring sliders and buttons, making it easy for users to turn off the flashlight or confirm the brightness settings. Users can effortlessly adjust the flashlight's intensity using the slider, with higher values providing a stronger light and lower values diminishing the brightness.
This feature is simple and intuitive to operate. For newer Pixel phones, when activating the flashlight in quick settings, the default brightness is set to 50%. Now, users can quickly adjust the light intensity to suit different usage situations.
Actually, Google had already included an API for controlling flashlight brightness in Android 13, but previously the company hadn't integrated this feature into the quick settings icon. Earlier, Pixel users who wanted to adjust the brightness of their flashlight could only do so using third-party apps like FlashDim or Google Magnifier.
In contrast, Samsung Galaxy devices have long offered flashlight brightness control, having introduced the slider adjustment feature as early as the Galaxy S7 in 2017. Apple’s iPhone also supports flashlight brightness adjustment, highlighting a clear lag for Google Pixel in this regard.
Although this feature first appeared in the Android Canary version in August, developers had discovered the relevant code back in June. The Android 16 QPR2 beta was officially launched on August 20 and supports devices from the Pixel 6 up to the latest Pixel 9 series.
This brightness adjustment feature is expected to be further refined in the upcoming Android 16 QPR2 beta version, with the final release aimed at all users in December. Whether this feature will be exclusive to Pixel devices or expanded to other Android phones as a core function remains to be seen.
