X

Google Revives Android 17 Beta 1 Just Days After Halting Launch

Android 17 Canary will feature improvements to the camera, networking and security, the company says.

Headshot of Ty Pendlebury
Headshot of Ty Pendlebury
Ty Pendlebury Editor
TV and home video editor Ty Pendlebury joined CNET Australia in 2006, and moved to New York City to be a part of CNET in 2011. He tests, reviews and writes about the latest TVs and audio equipment. When he's not playing Call of Duty he's eating whatever cuisine he can get his hands on. He has a cat named after one of the best TVs ever made.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
Ty Pendlebury
Screenshot reads The Android 17 Beta is now available for development, testing, and feedback! Try it today on select Pixel devices and in the Android Emulator within Android Studio.

The first beta of Android 17 Canary is available now.

 Screenshot by Ty Pendlebury/CNET

Google released the first beta of the next version of its smartphone OS, Android 17, on Friday, following an aborted launch earlier in the week. 

Beta 1 was supposed to launch on Wednesday, but Google changed the date to "coming soon" at the last minute without further explanation, CNET sister site PCMag reported.

The new Android 17 Beta 1, designed for developers and early adopters with Pixel devices, "prioritizes privacy, security, and refined performance," the company says. The beta is available from Google.

Android 17 Canary will bring improvements such as "professional-grade tools to media and camera apps," with seamless transitions and standardized loudness.

Two screen shots side by side of progress bars for navigation. The comparison shows how much larger the progress bar is in the newest beta version.

Live Updates on Android 16 (left) versus Android 17 Beta 1 (right): Android 17 Beta 1 now features a larger progress bar and button.

 Screenshot by Android Authority/CNET

On Friday, Android Authority shared beta screenshots of Live Updates with a newer, longer progress bar and more prominent buttons. The pictures show that the progress bar now spans the entire tile, and the Exit Navigation button is more prominent.

The Live Updates feature debuted with Android 16 and is designed to provide up-to-date visibility into deliveries and travel times with the use of a progress bar.

The beta will also include new tools to optimize Wi-Fi connectivity and expanded profiles for companion devices.

The company says it expects Canary to hit the Platform Stability milestone in March, which includes the final APIs for app developers, and that the full release would follow a few months after (likely in June, TechAdvisor says).

The beta release precedes the anticipated launch of the budget Pixel 10A phone next week.

Mobile Guides

Phones
Foldable Phones
Headphones
Mobile Accessories
Smartwatches
Wireless Plans