How to fix reversed themed icons in dark and light modes after Pixel December Feature Drop

Ah, the December Pixel Feature Drop — packed with exciting features, updates, and… a little extra chaos for those who love their themed icons. If you’re rocking a Pixel and have noticed your beautifully coordinated dark-mode icons looking oddly bright, or vice versa, you’re not alone. This quirky “feature” has Pixel fans buzzing, and not in the good way.

The glitch seems to stem from a switch-up in how themed icons behave when toggling between light and dark modes. In dark mode, instead of the expected darker, moodier icons, users are greeted with bright, pastel-like designs more suited for light mode. The reverse is also true: light mode now displays the darker, bolder icon themes.

What’s the result? Your icons no longer match your search bar, wallpaper, or overall vibe. For many Pixel enthusiasts, this mismatch feels less like a quirk and more like a fashion faux pas. While it’s unclear whether this is an intentional change or just a weird bug, the reactions have ranged from baffled chuckles to full-on keyboard-rattling rants.

But don’t worry; we’ve got a simple solution to bring order back to your pixel-perfect home screen.

Until Google officially addresses this (fingers crossed for a patch soon), you can restore harmony to your home screen with a little tinkering. Here’s how to fix the themed icon mishap in just a few taps:

1. Open “Wallpaper & Style” settings.
2. Find the color palette selector — In the top-right corner, you’ll spot three little dots.

3. Swap to a different color palette — Temporarily switch to a different color palette from the one you’re using now. Don’t overthink it — just pick something new for the moment.

4. Toggle the “Dark theme” setting — On the same page, toggle the dark/light theme. This nudge seems to remind your icons which mode they should actually be in.

5. Revert to your preferred color palette — Switch back to your original color palette, and your icons should behave like their old, cooperative selves.

While this hiccup has been frustrating, Pixel updates often come with growing pains. And hey, at least there’s an easy fix while we wait for Google to (hopefully) tidy things up in the next patch.

In the meantime, enjoy exploring all the other fun features in the December Feature Drop — just maybe avoid looking too closely at your icons until you’ve applied the fix.

In other news, Android 15 stable update has started rolling out to the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and Edge 50 Ultra, bringing with it the latest features and November 2024 security patch.