Following its official debut last month, Google is now rolling out Android 17 to compatible Pixel phones, alongside additional exclusive features as part of the June Pixel Drop. Not every feature announced alongside the OS at the pre-I/O Android Show is available today, however.
Android 17 itself is arriving on Pixel phones today, and Google says other manufacturers will be issuing the update throughout 2026. The biggest user interface change is the introduction of Bubbles — floating app windows that you can open with a long press. Similar floating windows already exist in many Android skins, but they are now an official part of Android 17 itself. Google is making them more useful on larger screens, with a dedicated bubble bar dock at the bottom of the display for easier multitasking on foldables and tablets.
The update also includes Screen Reactions, which make it easy to record selfie video while you screen-record, taking the hassle out of recording a reaction video for social media. Foldables are getting new gaming controls that show a touchscreen gamepad on the bottom half of the display while the game sits on top, and all Android phones gain native controller remapping.
Expanded parental controls and security features are also included in the update. Parents can now set more granular app time limits, and the new Family Link dashboard provides a clearer view of each child’s device activity. On the security front, Android 17 introduces enhanced phishing protection that scans URLs more aggressively and warns users before they enter credentials on suspicious login pages.
There are more new features rolling out exclusively to Pixel phones, although most are wider expansions of existing capabilities. The new Gemini Omni model will become available in the Gemini app to generate video from text prompts, while Lyria 3 enables music generation on-device.
Pixel 10 Pro, XL, and Fold users also gain exclusive video boost features in Google Photos, and the Pixel Camera app receives improved low-light photography algorithms. The June Pixel Drop also enables the Pixel 10a’s satellite SOS feature, expanding emergency connectivity to the mid-range model.
