Android 17: Leaked features, codename, release date, and everything else we know so far
We're mere days away from stable Android 16 rolling out to Pixel devices and the rest of the Android clan, and Google has already confirmed all the features coming with the stable platform release. We've also gotten our hands on Android 16 QPR betas, which gives us a peek at the features expected to come with the next platform release, Android 17. These spotted features and the other features that weren't confirmed for Android 16 help us paint a picture of what's possibly coming with Android 17. Here's what we know so far about the next big platform update for Android!
Android 17: Name
Google used to name Android versions with dessert codenames, but it strayed away from that tradition with the release of Android 10, choosing to stick with only the version number for all future releases. Consequently, Android 17 will most likely be known simply as 'Android 17,' with no dessert codename officially used.
However, Google still uses the dessert codename internally. Android 15's codename was Vanilla Ice Cream, while Android 16 jumped all the way back to 'B' with Baklava. We haven't yet spotted Android 17's dessert codename, but it will most likely be a dessert that starts with 'C.' Do you have any guesses on what it could be?
What do you think Android 17's internal dessert codename will be?
0 votes
Caramel Custard
NaN %
Cheesecake
NaN %
Cherry Pie
NaN %
Choco-chip Cookie
NaN %
Churro
NaN %
Coffee Cake
NaN %
Crème Brûlée
NaN %
Crepe
NaN %
Google has been switching things up with the Android 15 and Android 16 releases. Android 15 decoupled the platform update from the Pixel 9 series, giving the software release its independent timeline. Android 16 gave the platform a new timetable, with a major SDK release in Q2 and a minor SDK release promised for Q4.
For Android 17, we presume Google will continue on the path it set for itself with Android 16. Thus, unless things change for Android 17, we expect a major SDK release in Q2 2026 and a minor SDK release in Q4 2026.
You won't have to wait that long to try out Android 17, though. With Android 16, Google released the first Developer Preview in November. If the company sticks to this release plan, we expect the first Android 17 Developer Preview builds to be released in November 2025.
Android 17: Confirmed features and changes
Here are the features that Google has announced or confirmed are coming with the official Android 17 platform update: Intrusion Logging Improvements to Factory Reset Protection Material 3 Expressive
Intrusion Logging
Google announced Intrusion Logging as a new feature in Android 16 that will help users detect if their device has been compromised. Intrusion Logging collects 'activity logs' which include details such as USB connection events, network info like browsing history, app installs, Bluetooth connections, lock screen info, and Wi-Fi connections. Your activity logs are encrypted using your Google account password and device lock screen, ensuring only you can view them. These logs are stored in a 'private and encrypted Google Drive,' providing further protection against unauthorized access.
While the API is already available in Android 16, Google hasn't yet integrated Intrusion Logging into Google Play Services. Consequently, the feature will roll out later in the year, possibly as part of an Android 16 QPR, or even Android 17.
Improvements to Factory Reset Protection
At The Android Show: I/O Edition, Google announced that Android's existing Factory Reset Protection mechanisms will become even more powerful later in the year. While Android already has several mechanisms to deter bypassing the setup screen after triggering a factory reset, these new protections will restrict all functionalities on devices that are reset without the owner's authorization.
Google
Android will likely detect if someone bypassed the setup wizard (to bypass previous factory reset protection mechanisms), and will thus force another factory reset cyclically, preventing unauthorized use until the user proves ownership.
Since these upgrades are coming later in the year, they will not be part of the first stable release of Android 16. Instead, we expect this update to come with the Android 16 QPR1 update for Pixel devices and then to the wider platform with Android 17.
Material 3 Expressive
Google
Google has officially announced Material 3 Expressive as the next evolution of Material Design. This UX update is set to arrive with Android 16, but not the first stable release. Instead, it will come with Android 16 QPR1 to Pixels, meaning most non-Pixels will get access to this with Android 17, albeit individual apps could have their own redesign on Android 16. If you'd like to try the changes ahead of its stable rollout, you can already do so, starting with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1.
'So, the updates for Material Expressive are going to be available on Pixel devices first later this year, but it's not going to be part of the public release in June,' confirmed Allen Huang, Google's Director of Product Management for Pixel and Android system UI.
This sweeping UI update is a significant step in Google's ongoing effort to make Android and Wear OS more visually engaging, emotionally resonant, and interactive. Some of its highlights include: Springier, natural-feeling animations that enhance touch interactions
New icon shapes and refreshed typography
Background blur effects for depth and focus
Updated color themes
Home screen and Quick Settings enhancements for a more dynamic layout
Visual redesigns for many Google apps, bringing them in line with the new expressive aesthetic
You can learn more about Material 3 Expressive in our deep dive article.
Android 17: Leaked and upcoming features
Google has shared some details about Android 17 through its official announcements, but we've spotted a ton of changes in Google's QPR updates that help paint a more complete picture of the changes we can expect to see in the final Android 17 release.
Google's QPR updates and what they tell us about future Android releases
The Android platform follows an annual release schedule, which OEMs and the world at large have access to. Google also follows a second public release schedule for its Pixel devices in the form of QPR updates.
QPR refers to Quarterly Platform Release, an update track in which updates are released once every three months (quarter). So, we generally get an annual Android platform update on Pixels, followed by three QPR releases and then the next annual Android platform update.
While the features included in the Android platform update are final and available to the world, features released in the QPR updates are available exclusively to Pixel devices until the next Android platform update incorporates them. Further, Google also runs a separate beta program for the QPRs months in advance.
This gives us situations where we can try out new features coming to Android 17 (by checking them out in Android 16 QPR1 betas) before the stable Android 16 update is even launched! Later QPR betas give us even more features that can be chalked up to the next platform release, unless they are completely Pixel-exclusive.
As a result, we have a list of features that are coming to upcoming Android 16 QPR releases for Pixel devices, which are also likely to be added to the next Android platform update, Android 17. Let's check them out!
Local Network Protection
Android 16 Beta 3 officially added the ability to test an upcoming 'Local Network Protection' feature, which Google says is planned for a future Android major release, which we presume is Android 17.
Essentially, any app with the 'INTERNET' permission can communicate with the Internet worldwide and with devices on the user's local network. Local Network Protection will eventually require apps to request specific permission to access the local network. With Android 16 Beta 3, Google is giving app developers a chance to test if their apps are affected by this upcoming change.
Android's big UI overhaul
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Old vs new app drawer UI in the Pixel Launcher
With the above-mentioned Material 3 Expressive changes, Google is also planning a big UI overhaul for Android and expressive animations to accompany it. These changes were spotted and activated within Android 16 Beta 4, and are available widely with Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, but they are unlikely to be available with the Android 16 stable release. Instead, they could come with a future QPR release or Android 17 and beyond in the stable branch.
As part of the UI overhaul, we expect changes across several important areas, like status bar icons, clock font, combined notifications, Quick Settings panel, cleaner lock screen with collapsed notifications, and so much more. The changes are pretty voluminous to list here, so check out our original coverage for the whole scoop.
Ambient Always On Display: Blurred wallpaper on lock screen
Google introduced wallpaper support on the Always On Display back in 2018 with Android 9 Pie, and briefly implemented it on the Pixel 3 series before removing it on future models. Once again, Google has been working on an AOD wallpaper implementation called 'ambient AOD.' We managed to get the feature working before its launch for these screenshots, showcasing the lock screen wallpaper and the corresponding AOD counterparts:
As expected, the feature is still a work in progress and quite buggy at the moment. Code for the feature suggests that it will only be supported by particular displays, indicating that it could be restricted to some upcoming devices, like the Pixel 10 series.
Split Notification and Quick Settings panel
In-development notification panel UI in Android 16.
While Google didn't showcase the split notification and quick settings panel when it showed off the Material 3 Expressive changes coming to the operating system, the company hasn't abandoned the change, as we could spot progress in the code with the release of Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1. The feature could arrive in future Android 16 QPRs to Pixels and subsequently with Android 17 to the rest of the Android ecosystem. However, several OEMs already offer the split panels as an option, so many of us don't actually need to wait to use this feature.
Notification summary
We've found strings within Android 16 Beta 3 that hint at a new 'notification summaries' page. This 'notification summaries' page will be positioned between the existing notification history and the upcoming notification bundle options under Settings > Notifications. The new page will have a single toggle to enable the feature, labeled 'use notification summaries.'
The feature's description states that it will 'automatically summarize conversation notifications from apps.' Only messaging apps correctly categorize their notifications as conversation notifications, so only those would be AI summarized. The system will also let you exclude apps from having their notifications summarized.
It's not clear when the feature will arrive on Android. It might not make it to the stable Android 16 release, but come through on an Android 16 QPR release or even on Android 17.
Gemini-powered Notification 'Magic Actions'
In 2018, Android 9 released Smart Reply, which provides suggested replies as tappable chips beneath a notification for quick responses. Android 10 expanded this with Smart Actions, offering contextual actions based on notification content. This Smart Actions feature powers the 'Open Maps' chip when a notification includes an address. Smart Replies and Smart Actions are powered by on-device machine learning models, but are limited to short, canned replies that might not fully appreciate the context.
We've spotted evidence with Android 16 that suggests Google is developing a more advanced version of Smart Actions, dubbed 'Magic Actions.' When the Magic Action feature is enabled, Android will hide Smart Actions and instead prominently display a new Magic Action button. This button is slated to receive 'special visual treatment,' possibly indicating a custom animation when it appears or is tapped. Speculatively, the feature could tap into Google's Gemini model to generate more personalized and powerful actions.
Recents screen changes
With Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, Google made some subtle changes to the Recents screen. Previously, only the app's icon appeared above its task. Now, the Recents screen displays the app's icon, name, and a downward-pointing arrow within a small pill-shaped button overlaid on the task.
Displaying the app's name is a welcome clarification, clearly identifying which app corresponds to each task preview. The most impactful change, however, is the addition of the downward arrow. This icon is widely understood to indicate an additional menu, so its presence should help more users realize they can access further actions directly from the recents screen.
The dedicated 'Screenshot' and 'Select' buttons are now also enclosed in pill-shaped containers, creating a more consistent look in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release. Furthermore, the previously solid gray background has been replaced with a blurred version of the user's wallpaper or underlying content, a visual effect aligning with Google's new Material 3 Expressive theme.
Standby for Hub Mode
The evidence for this isn't strong, but Google could be working on Standby for Hub mode, similar to iOS's Standby Mode, which transforms the iPhone into a mini smart display. When Hub Mode arrives on Pixels with Android 16 QPR1 (and other Android devices with Android 17), users will be able to seamlessly switch between their screen saver (displaying clocks, photo frames, etc.) and their widgets, similar to how iOS's Standby Mode functions.
Android's Desktop Mode
With Android 16 Beta 4, we managed to activate Android's desktop mode. Given the feature's unfinished state, we expect it to arrive either with a later Android 16 QPR release or with Android 17.
Compared to the current, barebones desktop interface that appears when you connect a Pixel device to an external display, Android's new desktop mode actually displays the taskbar and status bar. The taskbar is a big addition, as it provides access to your pinned apps and a better version of the app drawer. The taskbar can also show recent apps while in desktop mode, making it easier to multitask.
It's also possible to launch multiple apps in floating windows simultaneously using the new desktop mode. Further, you can freely move, resize, or snap windows to the side, just like on desktop operating systems. This makes it easy to drag and drop content from one app to another, provided the apps you're using support drag-and-drop.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
At Google I/O 2025, Google also announced that Android's new desktop windowing features will be available as a developer preview for phones connected to external displays in upcoming beta releases of Android 16 QPR1. Android's enhanced support for external monitors is also coming soon as a developer preview in the Android beta program.
This feature still needs more work, so we expect to learn more in the coming months.
These are all the changes we expect to see in the Android 17 platform update in 2026. Let us know your favorite upcoming feature in the comments below!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bonfire's new software lets users build their own social communities, free from platform control
Bonfire Social, a new framework for building communities on the open social web, launched on Thursday during the FediForum online conference. While Bonfire Social is a federated app, meaning it's powered by the same underlying protocol as Mastodon (ActivityPub), it's designed to be more modular and more customizable. That means communities on Bonfire have more control over how the app functions, which features and defaults are in place, and what their own roadmap and priorities will include. There's a decidedly disruptive bent to the software, which describes itself as a place where "all living beings thrive and communities flourish, free from private interest and capitalistic control." In other words, its mission is to build social software where people get to make the decisions, not big tech platform makers like Meta or Google. The organization itself runs as a nonprofit funded by donations and grants, and it doesn't take venture capital. Its code is open source, and it works in collaboration with the communities and researchers that use it to build and enhance online digital spaces. Bonfire Social, now offered as a 1.0 Release Candidate ahead of the public release, is just one representation of what Bonfire offers. Bonfire calls it a "flavor." Each flavor is a preconfigured bundle of Bonfire extensions, features, and defaults, sort of like a starting template. When a community opts to run a particular "flavor," it gets to govern the app as it sees fit, adding its own extensions and determining its own roadmap for product changes. This puts the social software back under users' control, instead of being subject to the whims of a platform maker with an ever-changing feature sets and algorithms. The organization is already developing other flavors like Bonfire Community and Open Science, and the Bonfire software lets any other community create their own version. In Bonfire Social, users will recognize familiar features, like feeds and tools to follow users, share posts, create user profiles, flag or block content, and more. However, it also offers other tools and features that traditional social networks may not have, like tools for customizing feeds, support for nested discussions, the ability to host multiple profiles per user, rich-text posts, and access control features. Custom feeds are a key differentiation between Bonfire and traditional social media apps. Though the idea of following custom feeds is something that's been popularized by newer social networks like Bluesky or social browsers like Flipboard's Surf, the tools to actually create those feeds are maintained by third parties. Bonfire instead offers its own custom feed-building tools in a simple interface that doesn't require users to understand coding. To build feeds, users can filter and sort content by type, date, engagement level, source instance, and more, including something it calls "circles." Those who lived through the Google+ era of social networks may be familiar with the concept of Circles. On Google's social network, users organized contacts into groups, called Circles, for optimized sharing. That concept lives on at Bonfire, where a circle represents a list of people. That can be a group of friends, a fan group, local users, organizers at a mutual aid group, or anything else users can come up with. These circles are private by default but can be shared with others. Another unique feature on Bonfire Social is Boundaries, which let you control who can see or engage with your content. For instance, you could share a post with a number of your circles, but only allow one specific circle's members to comment. Bonfire also supports threaded conversations (nested discussions) where replies can branch out into their own sub-threads. This can be useful for communities where deeper discussions and collaboration are more valuable than those where everyone competes for attention. Plus, Bonfire users can customize the app using one of the 16 built-in themes, or they can design their own layout and pick their own colors and fonts. Accounts on Bonfires can also host multiple profiles that have their own followers, content, and settings. This could be useful for those who simply prefer to have both public and private profiles, but also for those who need to share a given profile with others -- like a profile for a business, a publication, a collective, or a project team. Other features available at launch include PWA support for mobile devices, community blocklists, custom emoji support, full-text search (with opt out), direct messages, private group discussions (also with nested threads), and more. Extensions, which add different features, can be enabled or disabled by both admins and users. Admins simply decide what the defaults are. That means users could turn on or off features they don't like, even core features such as likes or boosts (the federated version of the retweet/repost). Because Bonfire is built on ActivityPub, it also federates with Mastodon, Peertube, Mobilizon, and others. The software is meant to be self-installed, though work to develop a hosting network is under way. For those who just want to kick the tires, a demo instance is available.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Kind of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Warren Buffett Might Buy (if He Invested in AI)
Alphabet meets many of Warren Buffett's investment requirements. Alphabet faces some headwinds that could be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Warren Buffett, the long-time CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, (NYSE: BRK.A) (NYSE: BRK.B), is known to avoid investing in companies that he doesn't understand and is not one to invest in cutting-edge technology. You can't fault the strategy when you consider Buffett's extraordinary career, which is coming to a close this year. But that doesn't mean individual investors can't apply Buffett's investing principles to various AI companies to identify stocks that would interest him if he were an AI investor. There's one company that checks all of Buffett's primary boxes when looking for a stock, and it's right under everyone's nose. Buffett is a value investor at heart, and he likes businesses that generate a ton of cash flow. Brand value is another item that he considers. But perhaps the biggest factor is the price he must pay for a stock. Buffett doesn't like overpaying for businesses and prefers to buy them at a discount to where they should be trading. One company checks all of these boxes: Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Alphabet's brand value can't be disputed, as its properties like Google, YouTube, and the Android operating system are at the top of their respective industries (Android is much more popular outside of the U.S.). It's also a free-cash-flow-generating machine, turning 21% of revenue into free cash flow over the past 12 months. This number is a bit deflated due to Alphabet's massive investments in building data centers meant for AI and cloud computing. Still, these expenses will eventually drop, which will cause Alphabet's FCF to explode higher. Lastly is Alphabet's price tag, which is incredibly cheap compared to its peers. At 19 times trailing earnings and 18 times forward earnings, Alphabet's stock is at some of the cheapest levels it has reached in some time. Alphabet's stock looks quite inexpensive compared to the broader market (as measured by the S&P 500, which trades at 22.4 times forward earnings). With Alphabet checking those three primary boxes for Buffett, it may be a stock he'd consider buying if he were an AI investor, but there may also be some reasons to stay away. There's a reason that Alphabet's stock has gotten this cheap, and it has to deal with three primary issues: AI challenging search Economic headwinds Government lawsuits The biggest and most obvious challenge Alphabet faces is to its primary product: Google Search. Google Search is trying to defend its market share from generative AI products, and there are some predictions that a typical Google search will become a thing of the past as generative AI becomes more prevalent. This is far too aggressive of a prediction, as Google already offers AI search overviews, bridging the gap between traditional search and a full AI experience. While Google will undoubtedly lose some users to AI, it's hard to imagine the masses switching overnight. Next, investors are worried about Alphabet's advertising business during an economic downturn. About three-quarters of Alphabet's revenue comes from ad revenue, so it's a very important market. However, the economic uncertainty caused by tariffs could trigger a downturn or a recession, hurting Alphabet's ad market. While this is possible, economic downturns are not new, and Alphabet weathered multiple downturns throughout its life. It's equipped to handle this, and the ad markets always bounce back stronger than before after a downturn. Lastly, there are the government issues. Alphabet has been found guilty in two court cases of having an illegal monopoly, one in its search business and another in its advertising platform. We're still years away from knowing the outcome, as multiple appeals will occur to challenge the court's findings. At the end of the day, I think there's a low chance that Alphabet is broken up, mainly due to the AI headwinds it's already facing. There may be some concessions at the end of the day, but Alphabet will likely be intact five years from now. I don't believe that Alphabet's three primary threats are much to worry about, which is why I think investors should be willing to buy Alphabet while it's on sale. Buffett might be thinking the same thing, and you never know if he wants to make one more splash in the investment world before he retires. Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $657,385!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $842,015!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 987% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 171% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Kind of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock Warren Buffett Might Buy (if He Invested in AI) was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Google Chief Eric Schmidt Backs Firms Behind Blockchain Credit Bureau
High throughput blockchain Keeta and credit data platform SOLO, companies both backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, are introducing an on-chain credit bureau to give digital asset owners access to mortgages, small business loans, and other traditional lending services. Keeta is facilitating SOLO to create PASS, a blockchain-based, bank-grade financial identity layer, using know-your-customer, income, crypto assets, and business credentials, according to a press release on Thursday. Blockchain infrastructure is synonymous with trust, so it makes sense to use the tech to store real world financial credentials, and cater to new digital paradigms within lending. The PASS product creates modern credit rails for wallets, dApps, and embedded finance, while allowing for pseudonymous lending and borrowing based on trusted credentials, the release stated. 'This is the first time that a blockchain network has made real-world financial credentials, like income, assets, and identity, verifiable, tokenized, and trusted for lending,' said Georgina Merhom, Founder of SOLO. 'PASS delivers a portable, programmable credit bureau, owned by the people it's built for.' Eric Schmidt has been involved in the blockchain and crypto space for some time, having joined Chainlink Labs as a strategic adviser back in early 2023.
