Your Home Screen Is About To Get More Fun With Android 16

Customization in Android has always been one of the platform’s strengths, and for Pixel owners on Android 16, that will seemingly include the capability to customize your home screen icons.

Specifically, the ability to customize the shape of your home screen icons. This was a feature that was available in Android 11, but it was eventually removed, and it hasn’t been available since then. The only way to customize the icons this way currently is through third-party launchers. Now, it appears that Google is preparing to roll it back out with the release of Android 16.

A new report from Android Authority showcases the feature in action. They were able to activate it in the most recent version of the Android 16 beta. The third beta was released this week and essentially brought the software forward to platform stability. There’s still one more beta before the stable release later this year, which is expected to hit at the beginning of June.

Android 16 icon customization will allow you to change the shape of home screen icons

Icon shape customization appears to be returning to the Pixel Launcher. While tinkering with the third beta release, Android Authority says it was able to get the shapes and layout options to appear. Once this feature launches, it looks like it will show up in the Wallpaper app. A new “App Shape and Layout” menu will be available in the app with several shape options. There will reportedly be six shapes to choose from.

This includes a circle and a rounded square, which are pretty standard options you’d expect to find. None of the icon shapes have official names listed, but AA refers to them as Circle, Square, Arch, Four-Sided Cookie, Seven-Sided Cookie, and Complex Clover. It’s also noted that these shapes are only applied to app icons on the home screen as well as in the app drawer and folders.

This new version of the Wallpaper app won’t necessarily be released right away

While it seems clear that this feature is coming, it’s still unclear when it’s coming. It was activatable with Android 16 Beta 3. So it’s probably a safe bet that it’s coming sometime after the next version of Android launches. However, the new wallpaper app won’t necessarily be launched alongside Android 16’s stable rollout.

Google has reportedly been working on this version of the Wallpaper app since last year, though. Its existence in the third Android 16 beta may signify that it’s close to completion.