Google has kickstarted the next phase of Android. The first beta version, Android 17 Beta 1, is available on Google Pixel 6 or newer – offering a tantalising early glimpse at some of the changes, updates, and new features that will be coming to millions of devices in future.
As a beta release, it serves as a public testing phase ahead of the full launch — giving you early access to upcoming features while allowing Google to gather feedback and resolve lingering issues before the final version ships. While testing is only available on Pixel phones for now, Android will eventually release to Motorola and Samsung Galaxy devices too.
The release comes at an ideal time.
While this first beta focuses largely on under-the-hood improvements, it arrives just weeks before Google I/O 2026Google I/O 2026, where the company is expected to unveil early plans for popular tools like Google Search, Android 17, Google Gemini, Google Chrome, Google Maps, Google Home, YouTube, and dozens more. The Pixel 10a was just unveiled in a surprise announcement, too — its newest A Series handset that will also feature Android 17 down the line.
With most of the current beta’s changes happening behind the scenes, its latest features are widely expected to take centre stage at the conference.
Among the visible changes so far are small home screen refinements designed to deliver a cleaner, more organised feel. Spacing looks more deliberate, layouts appear better balanced, and its overall operations are supposed to be much smoother.
Here's everything we know so far about the Android 17 release.
The eagle-eyed team at Android Central spotted several updates in the Android 17 update — including a few customisation options on your mobile's homescreen
| ANDROID CENTRALFirst off, the Pixel Launcher has been slimmed down for a more refined look and to give you more space on the display. The team over at Android Central also spotted changes to the home screen search bar, featuring thick, coloured borders. It appears that there may also be a slimmer display design, which hasn't been seen in the most recent updates.
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While this may seem like a small change, the shortcut tool now appears inside the search bar. Alongside this, it's also suggested that you can customise and swap the default AI mode it normally displays for other tools such as Translate, Gemini Live, Weather, Song Search, and more.
You can now also remove the At a Glance widget from the home screen, which is a tool that can summarise what it deems is the most necessary information you need — instead of having to go through every single notification.
Under the bonnet, new features have been revealed to make your phone run more smoothly.
Google has introduced a tool called Generational Garbage Collection, which is a new way for your phone to manage its memory and take pressure off the processor. While you won't see this change, it should make your mobile run a bit snappier.
Camera fans aren't forgotten, either. The update includes professional-grade camera APIs designed to stop those annoying freezes and stutters when you're switching between lenses. So if you've ever been frustrated trying to quickly swap from your main camera to the ultrawide, this should help things flow much more naturally.
If you're using the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Android 17 is supposed to fix its app display — they'll no longer stay stubbornly stuck in portrait mode
| GOOGLE PRESS OFFICEIf you own a tablet or foldable phone like the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Google has stopped letting app developers opt out of orientation and resizing requirements on larger screens. This means apps can no longer stay stubbornly stuck in portrait mode when you're using a device with a bigger display.
Previously, some developers could choose to lock their apps in one orientation, which didn't display as well on tablets and foldables like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Now your apps should properly fill the screen and adapt to however you're holding your device.
Stay tuned to GBN Tech as we continue to monitor all of Google's upcoming releases.
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