Google Pixel owners can now reskin their phones with just one magical tap – almost

Google is in the process of adding one-tap themes to Pixel devices with the release of a Theme pack app for Pixel phones. The news of the feature was recently leaked, with themes being part of the next Pixel Drop.

Google Pixel phones have a couple of advantages over other Android devices. First, they're always at the front of the queue for the latest version of Android, getting the update on day one. And second, Google pushes updates to the phones with new features on a regular cadence – called Pixel Drops.

In the past, that's seen the addition of features such as Circle to Search, Material 3 Expressive and a load more. While some might argue that these should just be part of the Android release, it's a great way to keep devices feeling fresh, and keep the development going throughout the year.

The next Pixel Drop is expected sometime in November or December and the themes feature is on the list. It's going to allow users to change the theme of their phone with one tap and Google has released the Theme pack app that's going to power it. It's available to install on the Play Store for Pixel owners now, but you can't actually use it yet.

To use the app, an update to the existing "Wallpaper and style" tab of the home page is needed, adding in Themes so it can draw whatever options the app will supply. Essentially, the app that's available now is a system app which doesn't have a user interface.

What will Theme packs offer?

Thankfully, because of the listing on the Play Store, we can see how things are going to work. It's going to allow customisation of a Pixel "in one tap". That's going to include wallpaper, icons, sounds, GIFs and more – with Google saying that it's offering seasonal theme packs.

The first theme is Wicked: For Good, drawn from the sequel to the 2024 movie Wicked.

That the theme is based on a new blockbuster movie is a little suspicious, and makes me suspect that some money is changing hands to get a premium one-click feature on Google devices.

But anyway, for fans of Wicked, it's going to be a nice easy way to add a little touch of magic to your phone with general Wicked, Glida or Elphaba options.

Whether you'll want to run roughshod over the existing vibe of your phone (that you already spent hours perfecting) with a single click is a different matter, but it doesn’t take much imagination to see how Google will pair up with various new events to bring regular themes to Pixel.

As I said, while the app is available to download, there's no point as you can't use it without the Pixel Drop that's going to support the new feature. So hang fire for now.