Google: Android 14 uses AI to customize the home screen

Android 14 will bring new customization features to Google’s mobile operating system. Android CEO David Burke showed off several new features for creating custom wallpapers. The tools are based on the Material You design system, which the company introduced in 2021, allowing users to create their own wallpaper by selecting a few of their favorite emoji. The creation tool lets you add up to 14 emojis to a single wallpaper. You can then choose a pattern and color to put everything together. Once the wallpaper appears on your home screen, the characters will react when you click on them.

If you want something more sentimental, there’s a separate option to create a “cinematic” wallpaper. This feature uses neural networks on the device to animate your favorite photos. Once a photo is on the home screen, tilting the device will make it move, giving the image more depth and life. Burke said both cinematic wallpapers and emoji wallpapers will appear on Pixel devices next month.

In the fall, Google will also introduce a built-in AI image generator in the Android setup menu. You can use this tool to create wallpapers you can’t find online. It comes with pre-filled prompts that you can customize to simplify the AI management process. Once you add an AI wallpaper to your home screen, Google’s Google Android Material You will automatically select colors for all UI elements, including any app icons.

The Google Android Material You tool will automatically select colors for all UI elements, including any app icons.