Google updates Play Store policy to mandate themed app icons

Google is moving to enforce visual consistency across Android devices by making its Themed Icons feature mandatory. The company has updated the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement (DDA), requiring developers to grant users permission to modify the color and theme of their app icons.

The change addresses long-standing inconsistencies on Android home screens, where many apps do not support themed icons. Introduced with Android 13 in 2022, the feature allows app icons to adopt colors that match the device wallpaper or system theme. Adoption, however, has remained limited, with many developers choosing to retain original icon designs for branding, technical, or aesthetic reasons.

With the release of Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1, Google introduced an automatic system that generates themed icons for apps that do not provide them. Using a color filtering algorithm, the OS applies a monochromatic style to existing icons, ensuring they integrate with a user’s chosen theme. Developers will no longer be able to opt out of this process.

To avoid potential legal conflicts over brand modification, Google has added a new clause to its DDA. Section 5.3 now specifies that developers grant users a “nonexclusive, worldwide, and perpetual license to perform, modify color of, or add themes to” app icons and display them in modified form. This ensures users can freely apply themed icons without risk of violating company brand guidelines.

The updated policy applies immediately to new developer accounts on Google Play, while existing developers must comply by October 15, 2025 (via Android Authority). Once enforced, Android users enabling Themed Icons will see all app icons styled consistently, regardless of whether the developer previously supported the feature.

Google’s decision is expected to have broad implications for developers and brands, particularly those concerned with visual identity. At the same time, it standardizes one of Android’s long-standing design inconsistencies, aligning the look of home screens across devices.