Android 17

API level

The API level has been increased to 37.^[12]

VVC support

The ability to play back Versatile Video Coding (VVC) media will be available on devices that include hardware decoding support and corresponding drivers.^[3]

Background audio enhancements

The audio architecture strictly restricts background audio interactions, including background audio playback, audio focus requests, and volume adjustments.^[13]

Free screen orientation and resizability

The system will ignore screen orientation and resizability restrictions, completely removing the option to opt-out of big-screen orientation and resizing limitations that was previously introduced in Android 16.^[14]

Frosted glass extension

The frosted glass visual effect has been extended to more UI panels, such as the system volume adjustment slider panel.^[15]

Contacts picker

The new contacts picker grants temporary, session-only read permissions strictly to the specific data fields requested by the user, allowing selections from either personal or work profiles. The introduction of this feature minimizes the necessity for applications to request the broad READ_CONTACTS permission to harvest entire contact lists.^[16]

Biometric Find Hub Device Locking: An enhanced "Mark as Lost" mechanism within the device tracking framework blocks thieves with passcodes by requiring explicit biometric authentication to access user data or disable device tracking.^[17]

App Lock

Allows users to protect individual applications with a password, requiring authentication before the app can be used.^[15]

EyeDropper

The EyeDropper API allows applications to request a color value from any pixel on the display without needing broad screen-capture permissions.^[18]

Split notifications and Quick Settings

This is an optional feature. When enabled, swiping down from the top-left corner of the screen opens the notification panel, while swiping down from the top-right corner opens the Quick Settings panel.^[19]

System-Wide App Bubbles: Users can transform any installed application into a floating, multi-window bubble by long-pressing its icon on the home screen launcher. ^[17]

Taskbar Bubble Bar: Large-screen form factors like tablets and foldables include a dedicated shelf on the system taskbar to dock, stack, and minimize active app bubbles. ^[17]

Home Screen Label Hiding: The native Pixel Launcher introduces a configuration toggle within the settings menu to completely hide app text labels on the home screen for a minimalist visual style. ^[17]

Granular Expanded Dark Theme: A dedicated settings menu allows users to manually select and force the system dark mode on individual third-party applications that do not natively support it. ^[17]

Multitasking and Productivity

Desktop Interactive Picture-in-Picture: In desktop environment configurations, Picture-in-Picture (PiP) windows transition from read-only overlays into fully interactive, always-on-top application layouts. ^[17]

Dynamic App Handoff API: A native framework allowing continuous cross-device synchronization, enabling a user to seamlessly transition an active app state or workflow from a phone to another Android terminal or web instance. ^[17]

Selfie Overlay Screen Recording: The integrated system screen recorder features a revamped compact floating card layout that supports simultaneous front-facing camera video capture overlaid onto the recorded screen content. ^[17]

Dedicated Assistant Volume Stream: The audio subsystem introduces a localized volume slider exclusively assigned to digital assistant applications, preventing assistant voice interactions from altering primary media playback levels. ^[17]

Low Light Screen Saver Mode: The native Android screen saver subsystem adds a soft ambient low-light display profile engineered for dark environment docking stations. ^[17]

On-Device Artificial Intelligence

SystemsAppFunctions Integration Protocol: The introduction of the androidx.appfunctions architecture standardizes how internal app data structures and programmatic mechanics are securely exposed to the system's AI registry. ^[20]

Agentic Automation Execution: System-level conversational engines utilize registered AppFunctions schemas to bypass traditional intent strings, executing direct complex actions and cross-app workflows autonomously. ^[21]

AICore System Service Core: Localized machine learning tasks are routed through an isolated background execution environment that manages foundation model lifecycles entirely on the hardware architecture.^[21]

Gemini Nano Multimodal Operations: The default localized model framework natively interprets concurrent contextual inputs comprising text, images, video arrays, and audio bytes without relying on remote server offloading. ^[21]

Natural Speech Gboard Upgrades: Voice dictation features the Gemini-powered "Rambler" processing model, which dynamically resolves mid-sentence corrections, speech errors, and simultaneous multi-language inputs. ^[21]

Context-Aware Gemini Autofill: The system-wide autofill subsystem leverages advanced reasoning layers to locate, parse, and populate detailed credential structures such as passports and licensing documentation securely across the OS. ^[21]