After three generations, Google is apparently saying goodbye to its built-in temperature sensor on Pixel 11 Pro.
2023’s Pixel 8 Pro introduced one of Google’s first new hardware features in some time, a built-in temperature sensor. Alongside a new app, this added sensor acted as a surface thermometer. Many speculated at the time that the feature wouldn’t live beyond that single release. In our review, we called the feature “pretty dumb in its current form,” citing the lack of any clear use cases for it. Google has since expanded the thermometer to support body temperature, but it has been far from a focus despite still being included on Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro phones.
A survey from Google in late 2025 asked Pixel owners about how often they used the temperature sensor.
But, now, it seems to be dead.
The first Pixel 11 Pro leaks showed a device that had a singular cutout on the camera bar, rather than the two cutouts we’ve been used to seeing. This immediately pointed to the temperature sensor’s removal, but a new leak of Pixel 11 specs and details helps to cement this.
Apparently, Google is removing the temperature sensor to make room for “Pixel Glow,” its new set of supposedly rear-facing LEDs that 9to5Google was first to report on earlier this year. Mystic Leaks mentions that Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL will both do away with the temperature sensor. The post also oddly mentions the foldable will miss out as well, though that’s been the case for every Pixel Fold model to date, but the Pixel 11 Pro Fold will apparently get the new “Glow” lights too.
Anything’s possible until Google makes the official announcement, but it certainly does seem like Google is ditching this feature.
What do you think? Did you actually use Google’s temperature sensor?
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