Google is reportedly working on an extensive theme system in Android 12 that allows users to not only change the primary color and accent colors of the system UI, but also apply the colors to supported third-party applications.
Theme is currently pretty basic on Pixel devices. You can switch between the system’s light and dark themes, and you can also change accent colors in some settings menus. According to Android, the issues according to the 9to5Google.
Deeper options for Android 12’s themes are likely to differ from brand to brand, as manufacturers give users their own colors. However, you will not be able to create your own unique color scheme. The colors you choose can be reflected in Android apps, but only if developers choose to support them. This means that your favorite shows may not clash as much with your chosen theme.
Image: 9to5Google
In Android 10 and later, apps may respond to changes in the system’s light or dark mode. But even then, it’s up to programs to decide exactly what their light or dark theme should look like. Sometimes app developers choose a dark gray or even a dark blue instead of a pure dark theme.
As an example of what theme might look like in Android 12, let’s look at the Substratum theme engine. If you have a rooted device, you can force applications to respect a specific color scheme. This works because Substratum Themes uses Android’s built-in theme system called Overlay Manager Service (OMS), which Sony has contributed to AOSP. Developers can build overlays that target the resource values of applications, thus injecting their own colors or layouts. Android today does not allow third-party overlays to be installed on a rooted device due to security implications, but Google seems to be taking a middle ground by exposing the colors chosen by pre-installed themes to third-party apps that want to choose -in.
In addition, it is said that Android 12 will also offer theme suggestions based on your background. This means that your system can change seamlessly once you select a new background.
9to5Google warns that the rumored features of Android 12 could possibly be deleted as the development of the software continues. Last year, Google unveiled the first developer preview of Android 11 in mid-February, so it’s possible we could see an early release of Android 12 in a few weeks. Whether it features more robust theme features remains to be seen, but it will definitely beat the light and dark options currently available.