Google appears to be building an AI tool that turns a photo into an animated wallpaper for Pixel phones. Android Authority found the feature, called Animated wallpaper and codenamed “catsmile,” in an APK teardown of version 2026.07.09.978 of Custom Icons, a Pixel-only system app, published October 19.

The site also spotted a visual preview of the option in the Live effects section of Wallpaper & style in an Android 17 QPR2 beta build. Google has not announced the feature or said when it might launch, Android Headlines reported.

What the code shows

Pixel phones already have Cinematic Wallpapers, which use AI to add motion effects to photos and arrived more than three years ago. The new tool appears to go further and convert a still image into a short video. Android Authority said it may work like the Photo to Video feature in Google Photos, which could use Google’s Veo models.

Generation runs in the background.…