Leaked code suggests Google may let Pixel users convert still photos into animated video wallpapers using cloud AI models. An app teardown revealed early settings in Android 17 QPR2 beta builds under project catsmile, though Google has not officially announced or confirmed the feature.
Google is developing a feature for Pixel phones that converts static photos into animated video wallpapers using cloud AI models. The company has not officially announced the capability or confirmed when it might arrive for the public. Strings uncovered inside a Pixel system app suggest Android could soon allow users to transform personal pictures into short moving clips.
Source: https://www.androidauthority.com/
Evidence of the project emerged during an app teardown of Custom Icons version 2026.07.09.978, which contains internal code references to a project codenamed catsmile. The code points to an option named Animated wallpaper located inside the Live Effects section of the Wallpaper & Style menu. Users currently running the Android 17 QPR2 beta build can already view early visual previews indicating where this setting will appear. Pixel devices currently offer Cinematic Wallpapers, a feature that adds simulated 3D depth to still photos. The unannounced tool generates full video clips. Its workflow borrows functionality from the Photo to Video tool in Google Photos, where Google’s Veo generative AI models synthesize motion from a single picture.
Because generating AI videos requires significant computational power, animation processing runs in the background. The phone sends the selected image over an active internet connection to Google servers for rendering. Once the task finishes, the operating system delivers a notification confirming that the wallpaper is ready. Google also appears prepared to enforce daily creation limits to manage server traffic. Additional code references describe standard user consent prompts that cite Google’s AI Prohibited Use Policy and Terms of Service, alongside a feedback form where testers can rate generated video results or report visual glitches.
Google has not announced catsmile or shared an official release schedule. Because the feature remains in active development within preview software, the company may adjust how it behaves or cancel the rollout before it reaches users. If Google proceeds with the release, adding generative video directly to Android lock screens would give Pixel owners a fresh way to animate their photo collections.
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Cristian Penisoara is a Guides Writer and Android specialist at Droid Tools. An Android user since version 2 and a professional event photographer, he combines technical curiosity with a detail-oriented approach - every guide he publishes is tested step-by-step on a real device before it goes live.
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