Google's Arts & Culture won't get themed icons, app "working as intended"

If you’re a fan of a cohesive, aesthetically pleasing home screen on your Android device, brace yourself for a bit of disappointment. Despite Google’s grand push for themed icons under its Material You design language, one of its own apps, Google Arts & Culture, stubbornly refuses to join the party — and it’s apparently all part of the plan.

Introduced with Android 12, themed icons were a game-changer for those who love a seamless look. By pulling colors from your wallpaper, the feature gives your app icons a uniform, minimalist aesthetic. Initially limited to a few Google apps, the rollout expanded with Android 13. But, as with any tech revolution, there’s a catch: app developers must manually add support for themed icons. While many third-party apps have jumped on board, the Arts & Culture app remains an outlier.

This isn’t just a minor oversight. Google’s other apps, like Gmail, Maps, and Calendar, have embraced the new design ethos with open arms. However, the Arts & Culture app’s refusal to conform sticks out like a sore thumb, especially for users who have carefully curated their home screens.

Why the holdout? According to a response from a Google developer, this is “working as intended.” The app’s distinct visual identity, marked by its colorful ampersand icon, is meant to represent its rich and diverse content. While the icon certainly captures the app’s spirit, it clashes with the cohesive look that themed icons bring.

Naturally, this has left users scratching their heads. After all, Google has been encouraging (read: pushing) developers to adopt themed icons to align with its design guidelines. Yet, here we are, with Google seemingly exempting itself from its own rules. The irony isn’t lost on anyone.

Users have voiced their frustration on the Android Issue Tracker, hoping for a change. However, their pleas were met with a definitive “Won’t Fix” status. Despite the feature being labeled as a “bug” in initial reports, it’s clear that Google considers this a feature, not a flaw. As a result, another feature request has been filed in the hope that Google will consider.

Adding another layer to the irony, some users have suggested an “Enforce Themed Icons” option to autogenerate icons for apps like Arts & Culture that don’t support them natively. This would ensure a consistent look across all apps, whether they officially support themed icons or not. It’s a clever workaround, but there’s no official word on whether Google will implement it.

While the Arts & Culture app continues to march to the beat of its own drum, other Google apps, like Opinion Rewards, are also on the waiting list for themed icon support. However, unlike Arts & Culture, there’s no confirmation on whether Opinion Rewards will ever get the thematic treatment.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s a small inconsistency, but one that highlights a larger issue: if Google expects developers to follow its design guidelines, shouldn’t it lead by example? For now, it seems that consistency in design will remain an elusive goal, at least where the Arts & Culture app is concerned.