Android 16 is currently in beta, so running into potential bugs and issues could be pretty normal. However, it can be frustrating to see old bugs pop up that were supposed to have already been fixed. Something similar seems to be happening right now with an icon theme-related color bug affecting devices running Android 16 Beta 2.
Android 16 Beta 2 prevents setting color-themed icons from “Wallpaper & Style” due to a bug
Android 16 Beta 2 just arrived yesterday, but it looks like it already needs to get a hotfix. Pixel device users have encountered a bug that prevents them from setting icon theme presets. That is, they can’t “color” their icons with the accent tones extracted from their wallpaper. This is one of the best customization features on Android and a key part of Material You. The issue seems to be present only in the “Wallpaper & Style” section of your phone’s settings. You can set color-themed icons from the “System Coloring” page, accessible from the three-dot menu.
As you can see in the GIF below (via Android Police), the icon color presets available on the “Wallpaper & style” page simply don’t respond to tapping. According to the report, you’ll have to tap the option about 25 times for it to take effect. Even restarting the device doesn’t help to resolve the bug, so it’s up to Google to push out a fix as soon as possible.
Google Pixel’s December 2024 Feature Drop also bugged colored icons
The last time Google “broke” Android’s icon theme system was in the Pixel Feature Drop in December of last year. At that time, icons remained in Light Mode even if you enabled Dark Mode on your phone. You could solve the problem by switching between the two themes, but it was still annoying. Plus, Dark Mode icons appeared more “lit” than usual. Google included a fix for the bug with the January 2025 security update. We’ll have to wait and see how long it takes for the Mountain View giant to push out a fix for the “brand-new” new problem.
Android 16 will bring a number of changes to all eligible devices. Beta versions have included some nice QoL improvements, such as making it easier to switch between users and access your wallet.