If you’ve been keeping up with Android news this year, you know the Android 17 update has been building all year. Today it’s officially here. Google is rolling it out to Pixel devices first, which is par for the course. Other eligible Android devices will follow throughout 2026. That includes Samsung, OnePlus, and others, once manufacturers adapt the update for their own software.

So what’s new? The headline addition is Bubbles, which lets you turn any app into a floating window that sits on top of whatever else you’re doing. Long-press any app icon to pop it into a bubble. On larger screens, those bubbles dock into a bar at the bottom for quick switching. It’s handy for keeping a map or notes open while you’re in another app.

Screen Reactions is also new. It lets you record your screen and your face at the same time using the front camera. No green screen needed. Google also baked in a foldable gaming mode that splits the screen 50/50, with a game view on top and a virtual gamepad below. Native controller remapping is in too, for those using physical gamepads.

On the security side, the Android 17 update adds temporary location access, so apps can’t hold onto your precise location indefinitely. There’s also a tightened “Mark as lost” feature in Find Hub that locks a missing phone with your biometrics, even if a thief already has your PIN.

Not Everything Is Coming Today

Gemini Intelligence is a separate rollout. According to Google, it’s coming later this summer and only to select advanced devices. So getting Android 17 today doesn’t mean you’re getting the full AI feature set along with it.

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