Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is preparing to launch a “Pixel themes” feature, as evidenced by new strings and a button we managed to surface in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1.
- This button is part of the Pixel wallpaper app, and it aims to launch a “Pixel Customization Packs” app, which isn’t currently available.
- It’s unclear whether Google will offer only preset customization options or a full theme store.
Many Android devices let you apply custom themes, often available through OEM theme stores, to change the look and feel of the UI. These theme packs typically modify things like the wallpaper, the lock screen, home screen icons, system sounds, and sometimes even the overall visual design of apps. While Pixel devices allow for some of these customizations, they must be done individually, as Google doesn’t currently offer comprehensive theme packs. That could change soon, though, as we’ve spotted evidence in the latest Android 16 beta suggesting Google is working on a dedicated Pixel themes feature.
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Under the hood, we found new strings in the updated ‘Wallpaper & Style’ app that suggest it will gain a new “Themes” entry in a future release. This “Themes” entry is set to appear at the top of the list in both the Lock Screen and Home Screen tabs, with a description reading, “Discover Pixel themes.” The string containing this description is named “theme_packs_description,” which suggests these themes will bundle multiple customization options.
Code
Themes
Discover Pixel themes
Themes preview With some tinkering, I managed to surface the “Themes” button in the ‘Wallpaper & Style’ app on a Pixel phone running Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1. I also managed to make a new themes-related chip appear underneath the wallpaper preview.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
However, neither the button nor the chip currently work. According to system logs, the button attempts to launch an app called “Pixel Customization Packs” (with the package name ‘com.google.android.apps.pixel.customizationbundle’), which isn’t available in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1. The chip, meanwhile, is supposed to surface theme recommendations from the aforementioned app. Since the app in question is missing, we don’t yet know what or how many themes it will include. Furthermore, it’s unclear what aspects these themes will customize or whether users will be able to create and share their own.
Google’s approach to customization thus far has focused on making things simple for the user. This often means providing preset options or tweaking the UI on their behalf. While we would be pleasantly surprised if Google were to follow OEMs like OPPO and Xiaomi in opening up a custom theme store, we’re not holding our breaths. Still, it’s exciting to see Google finally embrace theme support for its Pixel phones, and we’re looking forward to seeing what these Pixel themes look like.
