The Pixel 10 Pro flashlight might be hot enough to do some damage

Your phone’s flashlight is one of those features you probably don’t give much thought to. It’s just there when you need it, perhaps if the power goes out or you’re heading out on a camping trip. But some Pixel 10 Pro owners are now raising concerns about what can happen when it’s left on for a prolonged period, with a handful of users claiming it’s caused visible damage to the lens.

The complaints come from a range of Reddit threads over the last few months, with the most recent appearing yesterday. One Reddit user shared the close-up image below showing a dark, burn-like hole at the center of the Pixel 10 Pro flashlight module, with the surrounding diffuser intact. Others in separate threads describe similar concerns, including the light getting unusually hot or leaving marks after being left on for extended periods.

While there are enough reports to suggest that the Pixel 10 Pro flashlight’s heat is causing the damage, nothing has been confirmed. In at least one case, the user said the flashlight had been left on in a pocket, which could trap heat and raise temperatures above usual levels. But in many reports, the usage conditions aren’t fully explained, making it difficult to determine whether the issue is hardware-related or something else entirely.

The way the flashlight is designed has added to the confusion in some of these Reddit threads. Many Pixel owners have noticed a small orange or yellow dot in the center of the lens and assumed it’s a burn mark. In reality, that’s usually just the LED emitter beneath the diffuser, and it’s visible even on brand-new devices. Darker or more irregular marks mentioned in some posts might well be genuine damage, but not every report describes the same thing.

It’s also worth noting that Google recently added adjustable flashlight brightness to Pixel phones with Android 16 QPR3, allowing you to increase the light’s intensity beyond its default level. There’s no evidence linking that change to these reports, but it could be a contributing factor in some cases.

For now, this appears to be both rare and anecdotal. But it’s something worth bearing in mind if you’re using your flagship Pixel’s flashlight, especially if the phone is already hot. We’ve reached out to Google for comment, and will update this article with any response we receive. In the meantime, if you’ve come across any issues of this nature, feel free to tell us about them in the comments section below.