Themed Icon Missing/Not Working on Android: How to Fix

Sadique Hassan•Updated Jan 18, 2024

In this guide, we will show you the steps to fix the issue of Themed icons missing/not working on your Android device. With the release of the thirteenth iteration of the OS, we witnessed the addition of a slew of noteworthy features, one among which is the Themed Icons. As is evident from its name, upon enabling, the app icons in supported Android launchers will inherit the coloring of your wallpaper’s dominant color.

While it supported numerous system apps right out of the box, but many third-party app developers took their fair share of time in implementing this functionality. By now though, near about all the major [and minor] apps have checkmarked this feature.

But despite that, you might occasionally come across an issue or two with its usage. For instance, numerous users have recently voiced their concern that the Themed icons are missing/not working on their Android devices. If that is the case with you as well, then this guide will help you out. Follow along for the fixes.

Table of Contents

Fix Themed Icon Missing/Not Working on Android

If you are using a Pixel device, then the Pixel Launcher might be the only one installed. In that case, we would suggest you install an additional launcher as well (such as Nova or any other of your choice). This is because when we disable or force-stop the Pixel Launcher, then your device will have the option to fall back to the second launcher. So refer to the below instructions to change the default launcher, as and when the need arises.

Head over to the Settings menu on your device
Then go to Apps > Default App > Home App
Then select any other launcher app from the list.

Once that is done, you may proceed ahead with the below fixes. It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Force Stop App

First and foremost, you should force stop and then manually restart the app. Doing so will refresh all its underlying processes and it will give it a fresh instance to work on. And this in turn might rectify the underlying issue as well. So refer to the below steps to try it out:

To begin with, temporarily change your default launcher.
Then head over to the Settings menu on your device.
Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select Pixel Launcher from the list.
Now tap on Force Stop followed by OK in the confirmation dialog box.
After that, switch back to Pixel Launcher as your default launcher app.
Check if it fixes the Themed icons missing/not working issue on Android.

FIX 2: Delete App Cache

Next up, consider deleting the app’s temporary data as well. If a lot of these cache files get accumulated over the due course of time, then it might conflict with the app’s proper functioning and could also slow down its usability. Therefore, let’s put these files in the bin right away and then check out the results.

To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select Pixel Launcher from the list.
After that, go to the Storage section and tap on Clear Cache.
Check if it fixes the Themed icons missing/not working issue on Android.

FIX 3: Toggle Default Launcher

Next up, you should consider temporarily switching over to another launcher for the time being before switching back to the Pixel Launcher. Toggling this functionality will refresh the home launcher settings which in turn could rectify the underlying issue as well. So let’s put this fix to the test and check out the results [make sure you have a temporary secondary launcher installed as well].

Head over to the Settings menu on your device.
Then go to Apps > Default Apps and select Home App.
Now temporarily switch over to another launcher app.
Wait for a few seconds then switch back to Pixel Launcher.
Check if it fixes the Themed icons missing/not working issue on Android.

FIX 4: Disable and Re-Enable App [Via Settings and ADB]

Disabling and then re-enabling the app will refresh its underlying settings and will start off with a new instance. And this in turn might end up rectifying the underlying issue as well. So let’s put it to the test and check out the results. Non-Pixel devices might easily do so from the Settings menu itself, whereas Pixel devices need to take the help of ADB Commands. Follow along for the instructions:

For Non-Pixel Devices

To begin with, temporarily change your default launcher app.
Then go to Settings > Apps > See All Apps and select Pixel Launcher from the list.
After that, tap on Disable followed by OK in the confirmation dialog box.
Then wait for a few seconds and hit Re-Enable. After that, make Pixel Launcher the default launcher on your device.
Check if it fixes the Themed icons missing/not working issue on Android.

For Pixel Devices

For a detailed explanation, check out our guide on Disable/Uninstall Apps from Android via ADB. The shorter instructions are given below:

Download and extract Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
Enable USB Debugging on your device and connect it to the PC via USB cable.
Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter.
This will launch the Command Prompt. Type in the below command to open the shell environment:
```
adb shell
```
Now execute the following command to disable Pixel Launcher:
```
pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher
```
After that, execute the below command to re-enable it:
```
pm enable -–user 0 com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher
```
Then hit Enable and check if it fixes the Themed icons missing/not working issue on Android.

FIX 5: Delete App Data

If the app’s data gets corrupted, then its negative consequences will be felt across the app as a whole. In such cases, you have no choice but to delete that app’s data and then let it repopulate the same from scratch. Here’s how it could be done:

Head over to the Settings menu on your device.
Then go to Apps > See All Apps and Pixel Launcher from the list.
After that, go to the Storage section and tap on Clear Data.
Then tap OK in the confirmation dialog box that appears. Now launch the app and set it up.
Check if it fixes the Themed icons missing/not working issue on Android.

FIX 6: Downgrade App to Earlier Version

In some instances, the developer might roll out a buggy update, which could end up breaking the app’s entire functionality. Though they are usually quick to release a subsequent patch, but that rollout could still take around 3-4 days to arrive. And this is quite a long time frame. So it’s better to downgrade the app to the earlier table version and remain on that build until the issue has been resolved. Here’s how it could be done:

Head over to Play Store and search Pixel Launcher.
Then tap on the overflow icon situated at the top right and uncheck Enable Auto-updates.
Once that is done, go back to Apps > See All Apps and select Pixel Launcher.
Now scroll to the end and note out its version number somewhere [Tiramisu means Android 13].
Now head over to a trusted third-party site and download an older version of that app.
Install that APK file (enable Installation from Unknown Sources, if asked) and check out the result.

FIX 7: Reinstall App [Via Settings and ADB]

If the app’s configuration and settings file get corrupted, then simply deleting the app’s data and cache might not be enough. In such cases, you will have to uninstall the app from your device and reinstall its fresh build. However, if you have a Pixel device, then you wouldn’t be able to uninstall it the normal way and you would instead have to take the help of the ADB Commands. Whereas non-Pixel devices could easily take the normal approach via the Settings menu. All this has been explained below, follow along.

For Non-Pixel Devices

To begin with, temporarily change your default launcher app.
Then go to Settings > Apps > See All Apps and select Pixel Launcher from the list.
After that, tap on Uninstall followed by OK in the confirmation dialog box.
Now download and install its latest version from Play Store or a third-party site.
Check if it fixes the Themed icons missing/not working issue on your Android.

For Pixel Devices

For a detailed explanation, check out our guide on Remove/Uninstall Apps from Android via ADB. The shorter instructions are given below:

Download and extract Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC.
Enable USB Debugging on your device and connect it to the PC via USB cable.
Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter.
This will launch the Command Prompt. Type in the below command to open the shell environment:
```
adb shell
```
Now execute the following command to uninstall Pixel Launcher:
```
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher
```
Then execute the below command to reinstall Pixel Launcher:
```
cmd package install-existing com.google.android.apps.nexuslauncher
```
Or download and install its latest version from Play Store or a third-party site.
Check if it fixes the Themed Icons not working/missing issue on your Android.

FIX 8: Reset Device

If none of the aforementioned methods spelled out success, then your last course of action should be to downgrade the app to its earlier stable build. Here’s how it could be done:

To begin with, head over to Settings > System > Reset Options.
Then select Erase All Data [Factory Reset] > Erase All Data.
Once done, set up your device from scratch and check the result.

With this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the Themed Icons not working/missing issue on your Android device. We have listed eight different methods for the same. Do let us know which one spells out success for you. Likewise, all your queries are welcomed in the comments section below.

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