Google’s mandate eliminates “ugly” Android home screens

How Google decided to deal with developers unwilling to have their Android app icon changed

Google has revised the language in section 5.3 of the Developer Distribution Agreement (DDA) that gives Android app developers a “nonexclusive, worldwide, and perpetual license” to change the colors and add themes to the app icons. Google had to deal with developers unwilling to have their Android app icon changed. By making the agreement mandatory, Google is able to deal with developers not interested in altering their branding.

But here’s the thing. All apps listed in the Google Play Store must comply with the altered terms, and starting Monday, September 15th, the new terms apply to all new developer accounts. By October 15th, all existing developers who want to continue to have their apps listed in the Google Play Store must accept the revised agreement. Since the developers are supporting themed icons, they must provide Google with a monochromatic app icon in addition to their standard app icon.

Examples of themed icons, these for  Instagram and Facebook. | Image credit-PhoneArena

With the mandate, Android users can enjoy a “consistent and cohesive home screen experience,” and the system can now give all app icons a uniform theme, even those app icons that didn’t support the feature before. To repeat the bottom line goal, if an Android user enables themed icons, “the system uses the monochromatic icon to apply a color tint based on the system’s wallpaper and theme.”

Once they sign the agreement, developers will no longer be able to opt out of the themed app icon system, which removes their control over part of their app’s branding on the home screen. Developers who have yet to do so will have to create a monochromatic icon and provide it to Google in order to meet the new requirement.

What will Android users experience because of the new agreement?

Google says that all Android users will be able to create “a more unified and visually pleasing home screen.” Before the mandate, Android users had to deal with a situation where some of the app icons would remain unthemed and some would be themed, creating an unbalanced and ugly look.

I rarely have used themed apps with my Pixel, but I can understand why Google feels the need to do this. A home screen that is unbalanced looks awful, wouldn’t you agree? With the mandate, all Android developers must adhere to Google’s rules or else face getting unlisted from the Play Store.

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