Google brings disco ball icons to Pixel phones

On Friday, Google released a custom set of Android app icons with a disco ball theme for Pixel phones. The release follows a playful online exchange initiated by Sameer Samat, the Android ecosystem head. Earlier, Samat had posted a teaser on X, asking his followers if they should bring the icon pack to Android, alongside an image of a Chrome icon styled as a disco ball. Following through on the concept, Samat announced the official release on Friday. “Your wish is our command. Disco icons available on Pixel as of today … Are y’all sure you still want this?” posted Samat, the Android ecosystem head. The post featured a screenshot of a Pixel phone displaying the sparkly, disco-ball-inspired icons, showing a home screen fully decorated with the new design.

Google’s release follows a similar, controversial release by Spotify. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the music streaming service temporarily changed its app icon to a disco ball theme, which drew online backlash. Many users complained about the icon, prompting the company to clarify that the change was temporary. In response to the criticism, Spotify acknowledged that the glitter aesthetic was not suited for every user.

The new disco-themed options are delivered through Pixel’s custom icons feature. This feature, which allows users to choose from various AI-generated styles for their app icons, was originally introduced in March during the rollout of the Pixel Drop—Google’s term for its periodic feature updates to Pixel phones. Prior to the introduction of these AI-generated templates, Pixel users could only customize their home screens by changing their colors to match the phone’s wallpaper and theme.

The rollout has generated mixed reactions across social media. Lovable, a tool provider for logo effects, built a tool to apply disco-ball-themed effects to logos. Meanwhile, industry observers and users have commented on the sparkly aesthetic of the new home screen. Race Johnson, a former Pixly co-founder, joked on X that the new look resembled bottle service for a home screen. Another user on X described the design as terrible but added that they would still use it.

Why it matters

This release highlights how tech platforms are increasingly experimenting with whimsical, user-facing customization features, even when those features risk polarizing user opinion.