GoKawiilAndroid 17 is rolling out for Pixel devices, but the agentic capabilities, such as intelligent auto-fill and other features we saw at last May's Google I/O conference, won't show up until later this year. Nonetheless, there's still plenty to look forward to. We've previewed many of the features already, including the ability to create your own widget and the redesign emoji, but you'll soon be able to try them out for yourself on your Pixel.
Big new features, like Gemini Intelligence, will be released later this summer and qualifying Android devices will get in on the Android 17 action later this year.
Google's Android releases have undergone a drastic change over the past few years, and the earlier release window is significant. Not only do older Pixel devices get access to the latest version of the OS before the expected new Pixel devices later this year, it also is notable from a competitive standpoint. Google announced several of these features barely a month ago, and some are already beginning to trickle out. Now compare that to Apple's WWDC announcements from last week -- and we'll need to wait until next fall to see any of those new features.
Here are some of the latest updates that are coming to Pixel devices, starting today, and here's what's to come later this year.
Bubble any app for supercharged multitasking
Multitasking with your favorite apps just got easier with Android 17's new bubbles feature. Google
In previous versions of Android, Google allowed you to "bubble" messaging apps in groups, so you had a floating bubble on your home screen for easy access to your most-used chat apps. Now, Google is opening the floodgates and "bubbles" for any app to the home screen.
You can now long-press an app on the home screen, tap the bubble icon and it will be added to a floating icon you can move around as you see fit. And when you want to access said apps, you can just tap on the bubble and the apps you've selected will appear in a smaller window, ready to go.
If you're using a foldable, the bubble menu will look a little different with bubbles docked to a dedicated space on the bottom of the screen. You can resize the apps as you choose. This is perfect for quick access to apps you open frequently.
Foldable gameplay enhancements
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