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Zac Kew-Denniss \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
The Android 16 QPR3 update<\/a> and the Pixel Drop that arrived alongside it brought plenty of new features to our Pixels.\u00a0 The ability to finally remove the At a Glance widget, reverse the order of the navigation buttons, adjust the brightness of the flashlight, and more.<\/p>\n Sadly, the best feature Google has ever added to its phones exists on borrowed time. That\u2019s right, on May 1, 2026, less than two months after the QPR3 update was released, Google\u2019s SpongeBob themes<\/a> will go away, and I couldn\u2019t be more upset.<\/p>\n How much do you love the Pixel’s SpongeBob themes?<\/p>\n 15 votes<\/p>\n With all my heart!<\/p>\n 40%<\/p>\n A lot!<\/p>\n 7%<\/p>\n Maybe I should call her Grace, or Majesty. Or Debbie.<\/p>\n 13%<\/p>\n (nervously) Zac, this isn’t how polls work…<\/p>\n 40%<\/p>\n Adding personality to your home screen has always been lacking on Pixels compared to other Android phones. Theme packs aren\u2019t what we\u2019ve been asking for \u2014 I\u2019m sure we\u2019d all prefer support for the thousands of icon packs available on the Play Store \u2014 but I think these theme packs are a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been a SpongeBob fan since the show started in 1999, when I was three years old. To me, these theme packs are something I didn\u2019t know I needed. They let me inject my phone with the rambunctious personality of my favorite invertebrate, and I didn\u2019t realize how much I wanted that until I got it.<\/p>\n It’s difficult to get excited about something that will get ripped away from you.<\/p>\n The problem is that I won\u2019t have it for long. Just like the Wicked themes from last year<\/a>, these SpongeBob theme packs exist on a timer. On May 1, they go away forever. If you already have them downloaded, they\u2019ll remain functional. But if you get a new phone or factory reset your device, they\u2019ll be gone, and you won\u2019t be able to get them back.<\/p>\n Sure, there are apps that can capture the wallpapers for you, but to my knowledge, there isn\u2019t a way to keep the ringtones, alarm sounds, GIFs, or the icons that tie it all together. With that timer ticking, the SpongeBob themes feel like less of a gift and more of a cruel tease.<\/p>\n I understand there are probably legal reasons around licensing deals that explain why these themes will expire. But having a good reason doesn\u2019t make the situation any less frustrating, especially when you think about the kids who might be using them.<\/p>\n Zac Kew-Denniss \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Theme packs are available on all Tensor-powered Pixels, including the Pixel A-series phones, and I know plenty of parents who have handed down their older Pixels or bought the A models for their kids. If this 30-year-old fan is disappointed and saddened at the thought of losing these themes, I can only imagine younger fans will be even more attached to them.<\/p>\n If Google is going to do more of these themes, and I expect it will, I hope it can do something to make the themes stick around. Otherwise, it\u2019s difficult to get excited about something that will get ripped away from you.<\/p>\n I knew I should\u2019ve named her Debbie.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n![\"Pixel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pixel-10-pro-spongebob-themes-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Pixel")
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