Material You theming could come to non-Google Pixel phones after all

Google is likely to allow other OEMs to adopt a feature that makes the Pixel phones unique.

What you need to know

• Google appears to be preparing to bring the Material You dynamic theming system to non-Pixel phones.
• Evidence discovered in the rumored Android 12.1 update suggests that the system will become open-source in the future.
• It is still up to OEMs whether or not to include the dynamic UI in their respective Android skins.

Google's dynamic theming in Android 12 isn't likely to be limited to the Google Pixel phones for long. It appears that Material You's theming system will eventually make its way to many of the best Android phones after the public release of Android 12.

XDA Developers found evidence that suggests Google is planning to open-source its Material You theming system codenamed "monet" as part of the rumored Android 12.1 mid-cycle update. The publication shared some screenshots supposedly from an internal AOSP build of Android 12.1.

For starters, the dynamic UI that was announced during Google's I/O event in May is set to debut first on devices such as the Google Pixel 5a and the upcoming Pixel 6 series, with no mention of its availability on other Android devices.

Material You introduces a unique level of personalization by matching the color scheme of your operating system's UI to the color of the wallpaper you choose. Based on your wallpaper, it creates a rich palette of five colors and 12 shades.

The only catch is that the open-source release of Android 12 lacks this feature, thus it won't be available on non-Pixel phones, at least initially. That's likely to change when Google releases Android 12.1.

The commit discovered by XDA indicates that the wallpaper theming engine may gain an API that other OEMs can use to create their own Android skins. Of course, it is up to these companies to decide whether or not to implement the dynamic UI.

That said, it remains a mystery when Google plans to release Android 12.1, so there is currently no indication as to when we can expect to see the Material You theme in some of the best Samsung phones and other devices.

Google Pixel 5a

$449 at Google

Android 12 is almost upon us, and the Google Pixel 5a will be one of the first devices to pick up the next version of Google's mobile operating system. The phone offers an exceptional battery life, decent rear cameras, 5G connectivity, and a stunning display, among other features.