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My Pixel Color-Matched Icons May Reach Older Pixel Phones

"My Pixel Color-Matched Icons May Reach Older Pixel Phones" cover image

A teardown of My Pixel version 8.9.1 has uncovered in-development code for color-matched app icons on the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, extending a feature Google currently offers on the Pixel 11 series.

Android Authority found assets matching Pixel 9 colors including Hazel, Rose Quartz, and Obsidian.

The same build doesn't contain equivalent assets for the Pixel 9a, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, or any Pixel 10 model.

Nothing has rolled out publicly yet. Android Authority couldn't get the color-matched icon to appear on its Pixel 9 while testing My Pixel 8.9.1, and Google hasn't announced support for older devices.

That makes this evidence of a feature under development, not confirmation that every Pixel 9 owner will receive it.

Pixel 11's Color-Matched My Pixel Icon Explained

Google introduced the customized My Pixel icon with the Pixel 11 series.

Instead of showing the same generic blue icon on every phone, My Pixel can match the physical color of the Pixel 11 it's installed on.

The Pixel 11 release also added an in-app search feature for finding tips, support information, and other content.

Android Authority reported in August that both features were live on Pixel 11 phones while older Pixels continued using the standard blue My Pixel icon.

Google hasn't publicly explained why color matching launched on the Pixel 11 first or announced plans to extend it.

What the My Pixel 8.9.1 Teardown Shows

Android Authority found two sets of icon assets inside My Pixel 8.9.1.

The existing set shows the standard blue treatment for older Pixel devices.

A newer in-development set includes distinct colors for:

  • Pixel 9

  • Pixel 9 Pro

  • Pixel 9 Pro XL

The colors correspond to finishes sold for those phones.

The teardown does not show equivalent assets for:

  • Pixel 9a

  • Pixel 9 Pro Fold

  • Pixel 10

  • Pixel 10 Pro

  • Pixel 10 Pro XL

  • Pixel 10 Pro Fold

That absence is notable, particularly because the Pixel 10 family is newer than the Pixel 9 series.

It isn't proof those devices have been excluded permanently.

The assets could still be incomplete, and Android Authority notes that Pixel 10 support could be added later.

Pixel 8 and earlier models aren't addressed by this teardown either way.

The Generic My Pixel Icon May Change Too

The same app build contains another possible design change for devices that don't receive a phone-specific color.

Android Authority found a lighter-blue version of the generic My Pixel icon with a white Google logo for additional contrast.

That redesign is also unreleased.

If Google ships it, unsupported devices could receive a refreshed generic icon even without the Pixel 11-style hardware color matching.

The teardown doesn't establish whether the generic redesign and Pixel 9 color matching would launch together.

What an APK Teardown Can and Can't Prove

An APK teardown examines code and assets already packaged inside an app, including features that Google hasn't enabled publicly.

That makes it stronger evidence than an unsupported rumor.

It still doesn't establish:

  • A release date.

  • Which countries would receive the feature.

  • Whether every Pixel 9 configuration is supported.

  • Whether Pixel 10 support will be added.

  • Whether Google will ship the feature at all.

Features discovered in app code can be changed, delayed, or removed before release.

The safest conclusion from My Pixel 8.9.1 is that Google has built Pixel 9-specific color assets and is testing or preparing a broader color-matching implementation.

Anything beyond that remains unconfirmed.

Which Pixels Have Color-Matched Icons Right Now?

As of September 24:

  • Pixel 11 series: Color-matched My Pixel icons are live.

  • Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL: Matching assets appear in My Pixel 8.9.1, but the feature isn't public.

  • Pixel 9a and Pixel 9 Pro Fold: No matching assets were found in this build.

  • Pixel 10 series: No matching assets were found.

  • Pixel 8 and earlier: The teardown doesn't establish future support.

  • Other supported devices: A lighter generic blue icon is also being tested.

That snapshot applies only to the code Android Authority examined.

It shouldn't be read as Google's final compatibility list.

My Pixel Has Rolled Out Unevenly Before

My Pixel replaced the older Pixel Tips app around the Pixel 10 launch in 2025.

The redesign added Home, Support, and Store sections alongside the existing Tips experience.

At launch, the full app was limited to:

  • Australia

  • United Kingdom

  • United States

  • Japan

  • Taiwan

Google later expanded it to India, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Google's current My Pixel support page confirms the full experience is now available across those 11 countries, with language restrictions varying by market.

Users elsewhere can still access the newer Tips experience, but not necessarily every My Pixel section.

That rollout history doesn't predict how device-specific icons will ship.

It does show that My Pixel features don't always become available everywhere at once.

Don't Confuse This With Android's Themed Icons

The color-matched My Pixel icon is also different from Android's broader themed-icon system.

Android themed icons recolor supported app icons based on the user's wallpaper and system palette.

The Pixel 11 My Pixel treatment instead matches the physical color of the phone itself.

The Pixel 9 assets discovered in version 8.9.1 follow that hardware-specific approach.

So changing a Wallpaper & style setting won't manually unlock the feature on an older Pixel.

Google has to enable the appropriate My Pixel asset and behavior for that device.

What Pixel 9 and Older Pixel Owners Should Do Now

Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL owners can keep My Pixel updated through Google Play and watch future app releases.

There's no evidence that the next routine update will automatically enable the matching icon.

Pixel 9a, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel 10 owners shouldn't treat their absence from version 8.9.1 as a final exclusion either.

The current code simply doesn't contain matching assets for those devices.

For Pixel 8 and older phones, the teardown provides even less evidence. Nothing found in this build confirms or rules out later support.

For now, the useful takeaway is narrow: Google has started building Pixel 9-specific versions of the color-matched My Pixel icon that debuted on Pixel 11.

Whether those assets become a public feature, and how much further down the Pixel lineup Google takes them, still needs an official rollout or a later app build to answer.

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