In a surprise development, Chris Lacy, the sole developer of the highly regarded Action Launcher has uncovered a new feature that might be coming along with Android O.
While investigating the AndroidManifest.xml file of the Google Clock app, Lacy found hours, minutes, and seconds as layers with default values, separate images for the background and different elements, all of which point towards an animated clock icon that would dynamically change as time passes by, just like in iOS.
The feature is said to make an appearance in the Google Clock app icon for app drawer and home screen on the Pixel launcher once Android O goes official.
Animated Google Clock Icon To Come On Third Party Launchers
As the code and support for this feature is already available in the Android O Beta, developers can implement the animated icon in their respective launchers. Lacy has already bundled the feature with the latest release (v25.0) of his Action Launcher, which is available for users running Android Lollipop or later. The animated clock will also be available as a standalone widget on the third party launcher.
Here’s the first look of the said icon from Action Launcher:
Hopefully, the official Google Clock app on Android O will also feature a similar icon with these elements. We still don’t know how well it will fare against the clock on iOS, but one thing’s pretty much clear, it will make Android more consistent and beautiful than ever.
Till then, you can check Lacy’s investigation and findings on his official blog – The Blerg.