Google has ended the first phase of its experimental themes for Pixel phones. The Wicked theme pack, inspired by the movie of the same name, is no longer available as of January 31. Users who had it active can keep itchat, but it is no longer available for others. Instead, a mysterious message appeared in the menu: "New theme packs coming soon."
Package Wicked was part of Google's effort to offer Pixel users the ability to comprehensive visual customization similar to what brands like Xiaomi and Samsung have been offering for years. It included tweaks to the lock screen, icons, and interface colors. Still, it was considered a rather cautious start.
Google now suggests that other themes will fit more into the clean look of Material You and will focus less on movie licenses. This could mean more consistent, elegant styles that go with color customization based on wallpaper - a feature that Pixel devices have offered since Android 12.
It is likely, that new packages will be prepared as wholes – users simply activate them without having to set everything up manually. However, advanced options could be added in the future, such as selection of individual parts of the motif, which is common with other manufacturers.
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One of the main weaknesses of the current system is the lack of uniformity in icons. Themed icons only work if the developers prepare the appropriate graphics. This often leads to confusing home screen appearanceBut Google is working on a feature called "AI icons", which would use artificial intelligence to generate themed versions of icons even for applications that otherwise don't have them. However, according to code leaks, we should expect it to arrive in Android 17 (probably labeled Cinnamon Bun).
For now, mobile users pixel they can at least look forward to Google will start releasing new style packs more regularly and system customization will be more accessible even without interfering with the OS kernel.
