8mo ago

Google is preparing to bring back a beloved customization feature from Android 11

www.androidauthority.com

The Android 15 QPR2 beta hints that Google will bring back icon shape customization, a feature it cut from Android 12.

18 comments

Give me back my goddamn customizable colors too!
I hate this "material you" theme they've been forcing on us for a few years now.
The pastel colors are washed out and unattractive.
- The pastel colors are washed out and unattractive.
  And then it's me who thinks A12 was the best UI change that Android has had... But don't mind me, I came from iOS something at that date, so I am kinda used to "simpler" UIs.
  I do agree you should be able to customize it yourself, AFAIK you can do so if you are rooted.
They should just let us install icon packs, third party launchers are broken since A12 or A11 if you use full screen gestures (and I would not use android buttons even if I get paid for it lol).
- They are broken because Google broke them by changing the api and not giving devs access to it
  
  Exactly, thus I am not using anything but Lawnchair with Quick Switch (requires root) as a launcher replacement.
- I wish they would let us arrange those bottom 3 buttons, again. Having back arrow on the far left is silly when its the most used out of the three.
  
  Use a pie launcher that can emulate the back button, like LMT Launcher. The back button will always be about an inch from wherever your thumb already happens to be.
- Niagara launcher has been pretty smooth for me
- This this right here.
- Huh, I've only ever used Nova Launcher since full screen gestures were introduced, and I've never had a problem, but maybe I'm missing a feature the stock launcher provides?
  The only annoying thing is the useless unhidable navigation pill, but there's a Magisk module to hide it.
  
  The only thing you are missing is smooth animations while minimizing apps or triggering the app switcher, swipe between apps works fine.
The only reason companies remove features like this is so they can add them again a few years later and say "ooh look, new feature!".
I've been on calyxos and grapheneos since at least 11, and didn't realize they were gone from the google variant of android, since I've had them this entire time. I wonder, now, if it's an AOSP thing or a calyxos/grapheneos thing.
- It's a LineageOS thing AFAIK. I'd be a bit surprised if GrapheneOS had it since they're quite close to stock AOSP when it comes to customisations that don't relate to security or privacy.
I have no idea what android version my phone has, but the option to change icon shapes has always been in the dev settings.

18 comments