Pixel homescreens are getting custom icons, but Google’s keeping them locked to AI

Source: 9to5Google

Custom icons arrive on Pixel

If there’s one big complaint about Google’s Pixel UI experience, it’s the lack of customization. Rivals like Samsung and OnePlus offer easy theming tools with deep personalization options, but on Pixel your icon options have been primarily limited to Material You’s dynamic colors. That’s finally changing with today’s Pixel Drop, though it might not be exactly what you’ve been wanting from Google.

Most Tensor‑powered Pixels (Pixel 6 and later) are getting new custom‑icon support starting with today’s Pixel Drop. Rather than allowing third‑party icon packs, Google is taking the generative‑AI route. The initial styles include:

• Cookies – a rainbow‑themed, playful 3D look with wallpaper‑matching backdrops.
• Treasure – all‑gold icons centered on white circles.

Other options announced are Scribbles, Easel, and Stardust.

We’ve known these AI‑generated icon packs were coming for a while, thanks to early indicators in Android Canary last summer and changes to the language surrounding app icons in Google’s Developer Distribution Agreement. However, the Pixel launcher will not support the thousands of third‑party icon packs available on the Play Store, as confirmed by today’s announcement. Google is embracing personalization, but it remains centered around its own AI‑generated packs.

Second theme pack: SpongeBob

Alongside the new icons, Google is also introducing its second theme pack. Following last year’s Wicked: For Good launch, the new pack is themed around SpongeBob and includes wallpapers, ringtones, icons, saved GIFs, and more. It offers three unique themes that will be available through the beginning of May.

These custom AI‑generated icons and the SpongeBob theme pack are coming to all devices from the Pixel 6 onward, excluding the Pixel Tablet. Google says the SpongeBob icon packs are also coming to “phones” from the Pixel 6 onwards, but it remains unclear whether the Pixel Tablet will receive any part of this update.