Android 17 first Beta rolling out: Here is what to expect from Google’s next major update

Google has released the first Android 17 Beta, essentially modifying its usual schedule to get the software into users' hands faster. The next iteration of Google’s operating system will focus heavily on making apps work better on tablets and foldable phones.

Moreover, it also enhances camera and media tools as well as bering improvements to performance and security.According to Sameer Samat, president of Android Ecosystem at Google, the company is also shifting the way it releases the OS – retiring the old “Developer Preview” label in favour of a new “Android Canary” program. The goal is to make the software more stable before it hits the general public. “We just announced the first Beta for Android 17! This release focuses on making apps more adaptable, enhancing camera and media tools, and delivering several improvements to performance and security,” he said.“It also represents a fundamental shift in how we deliver Android releases. To get updates into your hands faster and more consistently, we've replaced the traditional developer preview program with the Canary release channel. This gives you a year-round way to try out new features and share your feedback while we're still building them,” the executive added.This means that instead of waiting for big quarterly updates, new tools will be released as soon as they pass internal testing.

Best of all, these updates now happen "over-the-air," meaning testers no longer have to manually plug their phones into a computer to install the latest version, as per Android 17 beta blog.

Android 17 brings ‘good news’ for foldable phone users

One of the biggest changes in Android 17 is a new rule for app developers. Going forward, apps can no longer “opt out” of being resized on large screens.This means if you are using a tablet or a foldable phone, Android 17 aims to end the behaviour wherein apps that look like tiny phone screens with big black bars on the sides.

Apps must now support both portrait and landscape modes, resize automatically when you use split-screen or windowed modes and fill the screen properly on any device larger than a standard smartphone.

Android 17 camera upgrades

Android 17 introduces a feature called “Dynamic Camera Sessions”. When switching from taking a photo to recording a video, the phone often has a split-second lag. The new update allows the camera to swap modes instantly without restarting the entire session.Google is moving fast this year. Following this February beta, the company expects the software to reach “Platform Stability” by March 2026. This gives developers a few months to polish their apps before the final version of Android 17 launches to the public, likely in the third quarter of 2026.