What themed icons are
On Android 13 (API 33) and later, people can turn on Themed icons in Wallpaper & style. Icons that support it are redrawn in colours taken from the wallpaper. Icons that don't keep their full colours, and stand out among the rest.
Support comes from one extra layer in your adaptive icon: a single-colour monochrome drawable.
Draw the monochrome layer
Android only looks at the layer's transparency. Whatever colour you use, it's replaced by the theme colour.
- Use the same 108 × 108 dp canvas as the adaptive foreground, and keep the shape inside the central 66 dp safe zone.
- A vector drawable is best. It stays sharp at every density.
- Use one solid shape. Semi-transparent areas come out lighter, and gradients turn into smudges.
- Leave out fine lines and small text. Most launchers show the icon at around 48 dp.
Add it to your app
Put the drawable in res/drawable/ic_launcher_monochrome.xml, then add the monochrome line to res/mipmap-anydpi-v26/ic_launcher.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<adaptive-icon xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<background android:drawable="@drawable/ic_launcher_background" />
<foreground android:drawable="@drawable/ic_launcher_foreground" />
<monochrome android:drawable="@drawable/ic_launcher_monochrome" />
</adaptive-icon>Add the same line to ic_launcher_round.xml if your app has one. Nothing else changes: older Android versions ignore the extra layer.
Test it
- Install the app on a device or emulator running API 33 or later.
- Long-press the home screen, open Wallpaper & style and turn on Themed icons.
- Try a light and a dark wallpaper. The shape should still be easy to recognise in both.
Common questions
Does Google Play require it?
No. It's optional, but without it your icon is the odd one out for everyone who turns the setting on.
Can I reuse my foreground layer?
Only if it's already a single shape. A detailed, colourful foreground usually needs a simpler version.
Is there a quicker way?
The free App Icon Exporter makes the monochrome layer for you from a foreground with a transparent background, along with every other Android size and the XML above.