Android · Personalization
Match app icons to your wallpaper
Themed icons use Material You to extract a color palette from your current wallpaper and apply matching tints to supported app icons, widgets, and system menus.
How to open Themed Icons & Material You Colors
- Open Settings → Wallpaper & style
- Tap 'Themed icons' or 'Wallpaper colors'
- Toggle themed icons on or off
- Change your wallpaper to see the palette update automatically
What you should know
- Recolors compatible app icons to match the wallpaper's dominant palette
- Applies the same accent color across Quick Settings, widgets, and system menus
- Only affects apps built with adaptive/monochrome icon support
- Toggle is found under Wallpaper & style settings
- Updates automatically whenever the wallpaper changes
Only apps that ship an adaptive themed icon will change color; most third-party apps keep their original icon.
Why it matters
Themed icons are the visual centerpiece of Android's Material You design language, letting the entire home screen feel cohesive instead of a grid of mismatched icon styles. For users who frequently change wallpapers, this setting keeps the phone feeling fresh and personal without manual re-theming. It also signals which apps have been updated with modern adaptive icon support, since only those change color. Disabling it reverts every icon to its original branded artwork, which some users prefer for faster app recognition.
Best practices
- Pick a wallpaper with a clear dominant color for the most noticeable theming effect
- Pair with a matching dark or light system theme for consistency
- Turn it off if you rely on brand colors to quickly spot apps
- Re-check theming after major app updates, since icon support can change
Common problems and fixes
- Most icons stay in their original colors
- Themed icons only work for apps with adaptive icon support; many third-party apps have not opted in.
- Theme color doesn't update after changing wallpaper
- Reselect the wallpaper and confirm 'Themed icons' is still toggled on in Wallpaper & style.
- Icons look washed out or low contrast
- Switch to a wallpaper with richer color variation, since flat images produce a muted palette.
Tips and tricks
- Try a few different wallpapers to see which palette produces the most legible themed icons
- Combine with dark theme for a more dramatic Material You look
Frequently asked questions
Does this rename or replace my apps?
No, it only recolors the icon artwork; app names, shortcuts, and functionality are unchanged.
Can I theme icons without Material You wallpaper colors?
No, themed icons depend on the color palette generated from your current wallpaper.
Why do some folders look untinted?
Folder icons only theme if every app inside supports themed icons.
Related settings
- Wallpaper & StyleWallpaper & Style settings let you set separate images for your Home and lock screens, and on many devices, generate a matching system-wide color palette, icon shapes, and fonts based on your wallpaper's colors. Theme packs can bundle wallpapers, icons, and sounds together for a coordinated look.
- Home Screen & LauncherHome screen settings control which apps, shortcuts, and widgets appear on your Home screens, how many screens you have, and the overall grid layout. If you've installed a third-party launcher, this is also where you switch your default Home app.
- App Icon Shape & Grid SizeControls the outline shape used for app icons (circle, squircle, square, teardrop) and the number of rows and columns shown on the home screen grid.
More Personalization guides for Android
- Lock Screen & Always-on DisplayLock screen settings control the clock style, shortcuts, and what information (like notifications and weather) appears before you unlock your phone. Always-on display, on supported devices, keeps a dimmed version of the clock and key notifications visible even while the screen is otherwise off.
- Always-on Display CustomizationAlways-on Display (AOD) keeps a low-power version of the clock, notification icons, and optional 'At a Glance' info visible on the lock screen even when the phone is idle.
- Screen Saver (Daydream)Screen saver, also called Daydream, displays a rotating photo gallery, clock, or colors on screen while the phone is docked, charging, or idle, instead of turning the display off.
- Quick Settings Tile CustomizationLets you add, remove, and reorder the toggle tiles shown in the Quick Settings panel accessed by swiping down from the top of the screen.
- Notification Dot StyleNotification dots place a small colored badge on an app icon when it has an unread notification; this setting controls whether dots appear and how they're styled.
- Status Bar Icon ManagerControls which system icons — such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, alarm, or hotspot — are shown in the status bar at the top of the screen, and how notification icons are displayed there.