Icon shape customization is reportedly making a comeback in Android 15
After rolling out the stable release of Android 15 for Pixel devices in October 2024, Google has now rolled out its Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 update. According to a report, the update hints at some of the bigger changes that will come in the next Pixel Drop software update. Google rolled out the update on November 12 and is available for older, recent and new Pixel devices, including the foldables. As always, the beta software update is only available to those who have opted into Google’s beta software program.
Googling detailed the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 update on the official Android developer page. Even though we didn’t test the new beta update, people did come around Android Authority say there’s a new customizable Do Not Disturb mode in the latest update. This feature allows users to set rules for the mode based on their specific requirements, while the currently available presets do not. There’s a new menu for Modes that allows users to create a custom mode, complete with a custom name and icon, according to the report. Once created, the user may not be able to set a schedule for this mode.
Another feature noted by the same source suggests the presence of the Icon Shape Adjustment feature. The beloved Android feature was made available with the launch of Android 11, but was dropped from Android 12 and has since disappeared. It now appears that Google may revive the feature in time for the upcoming Pixel Drop.
Although the feature is officially mentioned in the changelog, it is not visible under the new wallpaper and style customization section in Settings. However, the source points to a tipster who discovered and used the same in the “in development” version of the Pixel wallpaper app, hinting that it could arrive sooner rather than later. The updated app now reportedly shows an app shape and layout tabs that allow users to change the icon’s shape in different presets.
Other features available in the same app include the Linux Terminal app (which allows developers to run Linux apps in a virtual machine), a more organized touchpad and mouse settings (which allows users to customize the pointer color), and the ability to control the mouse cursor using the numeric keypad on a physical keyboard.
Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 also brings the long-awaited kernel version update. It upgrades all Pixel devices with older Tensor processors (Tensor G1, G2 and G3) to Linux 6.1. Google’s latest smartphones, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, already run Linux 6.1.
