Android 17, Google’s latest model of the mobile operating system, i officially is available — at least for owners of Pixel phones.
Google has also released a new one Pixel Drop and the latest operating system for its smartwatches, Wear OS 7. There are a lot of new features, so let’s dive into what’s coming to your devices.
Android 17
Android 17 is now available for Pixel phones. The operating system will be rolled out to other Android devices within the year.
Bubbles is a new feature in Android 17.
Credit: Google
Here are three main new features available in Android 17.
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Bubbles: Users can open any mobile app as a pop-up “bubble” instead of full-screen mode — meaning you can easily manage multiple apps. There’s also a new bubble bar interface at the bottom of the screen that will keep your latest bubbles organized and accessible.
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Screen reaction: Dual webcam and screen recording are really popular on desktops and laptops these days, especially for travel and teaching. Google is bringing that experience to Android devices, allowing users to record with their selfie camera and capture their phone’s screen at the same time.
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Folding game mode: Got a foldable Android device? This mode allows you to turn half of the foldable screen into a digital gamepad, while playing the game on the other half.
Android 17 also brings new security and parental control capabilities. The new operating system has more location sharing controls, Live Threat Detection, advanced security upgrades, and a “Mark as missing” feature in Find Hub.
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Parents can also set screen time limits, and filter content, without needing to connect a Google Account first.
Foldable gaming mode in Android 17
Credit: Google
June Pixel Drop
The latest Pixel drop of Google’s Pixel phones is also out – and this one is packed with AI features.
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Gemini Omni: Users can edit their videos just by chatting with the AI chatbot. Reassemble photos and videos, or just start from scratch without text prompts. You can also create a custom AI avatar that looks and sounds just like you — and insert it into any scene.
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Lyria 3 in Gemini: Google is also bringing its latest music production model, Lyria 3, to Pixel phones. Users can choose a style, tempo, or upload an image to inspire a song.
Google is also bringing small improvements to certain PIxel models. This latest Pixel Drop brings Google’s speech-to-speech translation with AudioLM feature to Pixel 10am devices. Android Quick Share, which provides AirDrop capabilities for iPhones, is now available on Pixel 9a and Pixel 8a devices.
Take Message is also now rolling out to all compatible Pixel devices in the US The feature offers a Custom Greeting, which allows users to record a personalized outgoing message – and provides a voicemail transcript if you miss a call.
And, of course, Pixel phones get all the new features that come with the new Android 17.
Wear OS 7
Got an Android smartwatch? Here’s what’s new for your device.
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Android live updates: Smartwatch users can now view Android Live updates directly from their wrist. This feature can be used to track sports scores, food delivery arrival times, workouts, and more.
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Control other devices: Users can now control other Android devices from their hand. Wear OS 7 lets you access what’s playing on your headphones or home speakers. Users can view photos taken with their smart glasses instantly on their smartwatch.
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Emergency Sharing: If your Pixel Watch experiences a fall, car accident, or loss of pulse, your Pixel device will now contact emergency services immediately and notify the user’s emergency contacts.
