Android QPR2 Beta 2 began rolling out mere hours after the Made by Google event ended, and it makes a few key changes to the home screen. Namely, themed icons in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2 are now rebranded “minimal” icons, and a custom option is now available.
Android has had a themed icons option available since Android 12 with the addition of Google’s new Material You initiative. Now that Material You 3 Expressive is starting to take shape, the new Android 16 QPR2 Beta 1 update reflects that a little more clearly.
In the Wallpaper & style page in Android’s settings, the icons page now shows several options instead of the single toggle available in the previous quarterly release. There are “default,” “minimal,” and “create” options available. The middle option takes the place of themed icons, activating the Material You icons we’re used to seeing.
The default option is, of course, the generic home screen look with apps and their original artwork.
It doesn’t work right now, but the create option in Android 16 QPR2 would presumably allow you to create custom icons. Tapping the button errors out with “App isn’t installed.”
We’re not sure what custom means. It may allow you to choose which icons take on a Material You look, or it may allow users to adjust size and icon shape.
This is all part of Google’s shift into Android 16. The new OS just launched on the Pixel 10 series, which will begin shipping on August 28. Pre-orders are open now.
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