Survey shows Pixel lovers like Google’s custom AI icons, but a major element is still missing

Source: Android Authority

Last week, we revealed how our community really feels about Google’s branded Pixel themes. While many readers seem to like the idea, the execution was called into question, especially for those non‑Bikini Bottom residents. But what about the other unsung new star of Pixel customization: custom Pixel Launcher icons?

Rolling out last month, Google’s default launcher now lets users create custom AI‑generated icon themes that can be applied to all home‑screen apps. Notably, my colleague Rita El Khoury absolutely loves the feature, noting that she uninstalled all other alternative launchers in response. But the question remains: how do our readers feel?

We ran a poll on Rita’s feature to gauge interest in custom icon packs on Pixel phones across our community. After more than 2,300 votes, the results are in.

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Well done, Google: The Pixel icons upgrade is a hit!

A massive ~84 % of respondents had something positive to say about Pixel Launcher’s new icon feature. Within this group, there’s a near split down the middle.

Around 51.2 % of these respondents are in absolute favor of the feature in its current state. They have nothing negative or critical to say. Given that Pixel users have been starved of icon‑related customization options in the default launcher for years, this is certainly a welcome breath of fresh air.

“I just love it!” — laszlomajoros65

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

That said, ~48 % of voters who like the new Pixel Launcher icons believe that custom icon generation is a “good start,” but Google needs to introduce more options to make it genuinely useful and appealing.

To be fair, Google has introduced plenty of new toggles and switches to the launcher in recent months. Users can now hide At A Glance from the home screen. However, there is more that could be done regarding icon tweaks. Where is the support for third‑party icon packs, for example?

“A better option for me would have been, let me use a custom icon pack of my choice from Play Store and only apply AI icons to the icons that don’t have a custom icon by the Theme Pack.” — Kawshik Ahmed

It’s also worth noting that this generative AI icon feature only themes home‑screen icons—those in the app drawer retain their default look, making it far less appealing for users who value a uniform aesthetic across their entire device.

Beyond the general positive sentiment, around 14.5 % of respondents were not impressed with the feature.

“Yet another half‑baked Google project. I’ll stick with my fully customizable Launcher thank you.” — zoomzoomjohn

Several users in the comments of Rita’s article reported that the feature was not available on their devices or Android build. It’s possible they like what they see but haven’t been able to try it yet.

I’ve used plenty of Android launchers, and it remains genuinely baffling why Google refuses to add third‑party icon pack support to Pixel Launcher. Perhaps we’ll see it in the future, but for now, you’ll have to settle for yet another AI‑adjacent customization feature on Pixels. Judging by the poll results, this might not be such a bad thing.