Google Tests AI-Powered Icon Theming for Pixel Phones.

Key Takeaway.

• Pixel phones are gaining AI-powered icon theming that can unify app icons even when developers haven’t added monochrome support.
• A new “Create” option suggests users will be able to manually design custom styles, potentially including icon shapes and color variations.

Google is planning to enhance Pixel phone customization with a new feature that lets users create custom AI-powered app icon themes. The code discovered in the latest Android Canary build suggests that Pixel users may soon have more flexible styling options beyond the current themed icons.

In the Wallpaper & Style app for Pixel phones, hidden strings now reference four distinct icon style choices: Default, Minimal, AI icon, and Create. Currently, the "Minimal" style applies monochromatic-themed icons to supported apps. The upcoming “AI icon” option appears to automatically generate styled versions for apps that lack support, while “Create” likely offers a manual customization tool.

These changes aim to fix the inconsistent look of Android’s current themed icons feature, which only works with apps providing monochrome icons. The AI-powered theme could apply cohesive styling across all apps, even those without native support. 

Pixel launchers have long lacked built-in icon customization. Users currently rely on third-party launchers or manual shortcuts to style their home screens. With AI-generated themes and design tools integrated into the stock launcher, Pixel users can achieve unified aesthetics without leaving Google’s ecosystem.

The potential for user-created icon sets also expands customization possibilities. Users might choose shapes, color accents, or editing features, similar to Android’s wallpaper customization and soon-to-return icon shape options introduced in Android 16 Beta.

At this stage, the feature is only visible in specialized Canary builds. There is no official timeline from Google, and activation isn’t available via app settings. Given the early stage, this could arrive with Android 16’s Material 3 Expressive redesign, which is expected mid‑2025.