The first Android 17 beta has been out for a few days now, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any significant changes over the previous Android 16 QPR3 beta or even the stable release of Android 16 QPR2. This wasn’t a surprise, though. If last year was anything to go by, Android 17’s first release was always supposed to be a developer-focused API and SDK release to help prepare and adapt apps for some new capabilities, while Android 17 QPR1 (coming around August or September 2026, along with the Pixel 11) would bring the major user-facing features and enhancements.
So, if you think that Android 17 will be a lackluster update, strap in because we’re in for a ride that’ll go in crescendo over the whole year, just like Android 16 did. And in case you’re still dubious, here is a list of some of my favorite still-under-development Android 17 features that we expect to land at some point this year.
Are you excited for Android 17? 25 votes Yes, I can't wait. 32 % Not yet, I'm waiting for some real new features. 48 % No, it's a lackluster update. 12 % I don't care about Android updates. 8 %
App lock
Many Android skins have offered the option to lock individual apps behind a biometric or PIN-based login for years now, but Android 17 should add the option straight into the operating system, which means that every Android brand and skin will have it. That’s excellent news for Pixel users who haven’t had the option to add an extra security layer on top of some apps. It should also help unify all of the different skins’ approaches to app locking.
With this option, I could enable App Lock on Amazon if I didn’t want someone with access to my phone to buy things with my credit card, on Google Home if I’m extra cautious about who controls my smart home, or on Keep, Drive, Photos to protect my notes, documents, and personal media. There’s no limit. Any app that doesn’t have a biometric lock screen can have one. So if you often hand your phone over to a child or to some friends, or if you’d like to keep apps tightly protected in case your phone is stolen, App Lock should help with that. It should also keep notifications from locked apps private.
Some Android skins have offered app locking, but adding it to Android unifies the feature and brings it to Pixel and other 'vanilla' phones.
My only question about App Lock is whether it’s a one-time thing or a permanent setting. So far, none of the strings or demos we’ve seen tell the full story, so it’s possible that once you unlock an app, it’s unlocked forever and you have to re-lock it when you’re done with it. But I hope not. I hope the setting sticks with a timeout period; i.e., if I don’t use the app for a certain number of minutes, it re-locks automatically.
More powerful screen recorder
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Upcoming screen recorder toolbar UI in Android.
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