Pixel 9’s exclusive AI image generator could be coming to the Pixel 8 series soon

Key Takeaways

• Google’s Imagen 3-powered Pixel Studio app, which is exclusive to the Pixel 9 series for now, might soon extend to older devices like the Pixel 8.
• A stub for Pixel Studio app was found on Pixel 8 series devices after the Android 15 update, suggesting that an official rollout might be nigh.
• It is currently unclear if models older than 2023’s Pixel 8 series will gain access to the Pixel Studio app any time soon.

Google’s Imagen 3 model-powered Pixel Studio, an AI image generator, has been exclusive to the Pixel 9 series from the start. However, the model’s availability seems to be extending beyond the latest flagship devices.

Last week, the Imagen 3 model made its way to Gemini on the web and mobile, and it looks like the Pixel Studio app itself might be next in line to become available to more users.

Hints about the app’s expansion to the 2023-released Pixel 8 series, including the later-released Pixel 8a, were first spotted by Android Authority, suggesting that a stub for the app can be found pre-installed on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a devices post the Android 15 update.

The same stub has also made its way to APK Mirror with the notes “Pixel 8 pro update Android 15 includes this,” suggesting that the placeholder was part of the major update, at least for Pixel 8 series users.

The stub is only 0.02MB in size, and considering that it is simply a placeholder for now, that makes sense. Trying to download and install it will only give you an “app not installed as package appears to be invalid” prompt. The stub’s eventual purpose is to guide users to the Play Store to download the app it is filling in for, and in this case, that is the Pixel Studio app. However, that will only be possible when a Play Store listing for the app for the Pixel 8 series goes live.

Older Pixels get Pixel Studio hope

Elsewhere, another hint pointing towards the app’s availability on older devices is the removal of a feature flag from the stub’s build. For reference, all previous versions of the Pixel Studio app have contained a com.google.android.feature.PIXEL_2024_EXPERIENCE flag (left screenshot in the image above), which prevents Pixel devices older than 2024 from being able to run the app.

The same flag is absent in the stub, suggesting that older Pixel devices might soon be able to run the app. It’s worth noting that the Pixel 8a is an anomaly here, considering that it technically launched in 2024. However, it still belongs to the ‘8 series,’ and its compatibility with the app will likely be bundled with 2023’s core models.

It is currently unclear if models older than 2023’s Pixel 8 series will gain access to the Pixel Studio app any time soon.