One UI 8.5 Could Make All App Icons Match Your Galaxy Phone’s Theme

We’ll soon see a major update to how app icons look on our phones. Google announced that it’s making it easier for users to create a consistent and clean home screen by automatically theming app icons to match the system’s color scheme.

Android is changing the themed app icons rules by making it mandatory

Currently, Android allows users to theme app icons only if developers provide a special black-and-white version of their icon. Many developers choose not to do this because they want their apps to stand out or preserve their brand identity.

As a result, some icons match the system theme while others don’t, which can make home screens look cluttered. With this change (via Android Authority), even if developers haven’t provided a themed icon, Android will automatically apply a color filter to existing icons so they blend seamlessly with the phone’s theme. This approach is similar to how Apple handled iOS 18’s release last year. Because of which, all apps were required to adopt themed icons.

It probably won’t land before One UI 8.5

This is possible because Google has updated its rules for developers. The Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement now requires app makers to allow users to modify the color or theme of their app icons. This change will take effect immediately for new developers and from October 15, 2025, for existing ones.

For Samsung users, this means the changes may come once One UI 8.5 is released. After which, all apps on Galaxy phones and tablets will follow the system theme. Even apps that weren’t designed to support theming will automatically match the look of other icons. This, in turn, will help create a more uniform and visually appealing feel.