60
Android will soon be able to theme every app icon, and Google Play won't let developers opt out
(www.androidauthority.com)
this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2025
60 points (96.9% liked)
Android
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I don't know how I feel about this. While easier icon theming is a good thing, I don't think more power to Google is desirable.
We need less control from Google over the Android ecosystem, not more.
This seems to be more power to the user, not sure how it is more power to google other than them enforcing it, which they already have power to do because of ownership of the de facto app store.
Exactly.
Many apps don't let their icon be themed because muh brand identity.
This is enforcing using choice, so if a user enables the Themed Icons setting they can be sure every app installed will follow it.
Yea, fuck google but on the other hand, why would a developer care if I theme the icon?
Adwaita dev enters the chat
The Adwaita team, and a bunch of devs that make Adwaita apps explicitly said that theming their apps is fine, they simply asked for users who theme their apps not to submit bug reports that are actually just theming issues.
There's nothing worse than spending hours and hours trying to replicate or resolve a bug, only to find out it's because the user installed an anime girl theme that's caused some issue.
Those devs were completely right to put out that request, and I think it's wrong that they received a lot of hate for it.
They are open source devs, donating their time to give you software for free. Is it really that bad they politely ask not to receive time-wasting bug reports for things that they never broke in the first place?
You are not exactly correct:
Source https://stopthemingmy.app/
This is an attack on Linux mint and Garuda to ask them to not theme their apps.
On top of that Adwaita has not been very well supported in kde via flatpak, thanks to the exclusionary nature of gnome devs
I also don't know. The user in me loves this because it's bloody annoying to see the few eye sores on my home screen that don't conform to my theme. But the developer in me sympathizes with icon designers who have to make icons that can easily be themed, and companies (or individuals!) that may have to compromise on their brand.
Having a single color rendition of your logo is good practice anyway (you can't always print stuff in full color and it has all sorts of UX and branding uses). I can't imagine of all the compliance requirements for apps going into the svg for your icon and making it black and white is the dealbreaker.
Plus in practice the Android apps that refuse to comply are Amazon, my banking apps and believe it or not my phone manufacturer's first party apps (and I believe Facebook, but I don't have that installed, so I'm not sure).
I say eff that. Work within the OS requirements for customization. I don't care if it's Linux, Android, Windows or whatever else. Let me set up my device the way I want it.