Google has recently begun rolling out an exciting new feature for Pixel phone users: the ability to create and customize their own emoji wallpapers. First unveiled at Google I/O 2023, the feature is now available for those running Android 14 Beta 3 and is accessible through the Wallpaper & Style settings.
The custom emoji wallpapers are powered by a new app called Emoji Workshop Wallpaper, which is gradually becoming available on the Google Play Store. The rollout was first spotted by Google News on Telegram, who shared an APK of the new app. However, we recommend against installing this APK, as it is not from a verified source like APK Mirror. Users interested in trying the feature should proceed at their own risk.
To access the new emoji wallpaper section on Android 14 Beta 3, users may need to restart their device and force-stop the Wallpaper & Style app. Once the Emoji Workshop Wallpaper app is installed, the feature appears to be consistently available for those on Beta 3.
Upon successful installation, a new Emoji Workshop section will appear in the wallpaper picker interface. Users can tap on it to view a predefined wallpaper preview, with options to choose their own emoji, patterns, and colors. A randomize button is also available for further customization, offering a selection of 20 ready-made colors and five predefined patterns: Mosaic, Lotus, Stacks, Sprinkle, and Prism. Each pattern comes with a slider to adjust the size of individual emojis, and up to 14 emojis can be used simultaneously.
The recent Google I/O event also showcased a series of enticing new Android wallpaper features, including a ripple effect when users tap any part of their home screen and subtle animations when waking the screen. Unlocking the phone triggers a spinning or flipping animation, with emojis falling or spinning into place based on the chosen pattern.
A delightful Easter egg appears when users plug in their phone, with all emojis briefly transforming into lightning emojis before reverting to the user’s selection. Additionally, wallpaper colors become inverted when switching to dark mode.
Live animations can be disabled by accessing the wallpaper’s preview and toggling the feature off. Although a share button is present, it currently causes the app to crash. Wallpaper editing is available for some designs but not others, possibly due to beta testing issues. However, all created wallpapers are conveniently stored and ready for use.
The new emoji wallpapers have been successfully installed on Pixel phones running Android 13 and the Android 13 QPR3 Beta, but they are not yet visible in the wallpaper selection. This might be due to a server-side flag that Google could activate when the (reportedly delayed) June Feature Drop becomes stable. Google has confirmed that emoji wallpapers will be available on Android 13.
Furthermore, Google announced the upcoming addition of cinematic wallpapers for Android 13 phones later this year, as well as AI-generated wallpapers for Android 14 users. These will enable the creation of custom designs based on user input.
