7 of the best Android 17 features available now from Bubbles to Screen Reactions

Date:
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:26:42 +0000

Description:
Android 17 is rolling out to Pixel devices now, and it's packed full of new and improved features here are the best of them.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Android 17 is rolling out now Initially, it's only available for Pixel phones New features include Screen Reactions, Bubbles, a foldable gaming mode, and more Following months of betas, Android 17 is finally available in finished form though initially
only to Google Pixel phones , with devices from other brands set to get it throughout 2026, as manufacturers put their own spin on the software.

But if you have a Google Pixel 6 or newer, you can grab Android 17 now (or at least soon, if it hasnt yet been pushed to your phone). Sadly, what you wont get right now is Gemini Intelligence or most of the other related AI stuff announced at the recent Android Show , with Google saying these features will launch later this summer. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

But theres still a lot to get stuck into, from Screen Reactions to multitasking bubbles and beyond. Below, weve detailed the seven best new features youll find in the Android 17 update. 1. Multitasking bubbles (Image credit: Google) If you like having multiple windows open at once, then youll probably appreciate Android 17s new Bubbles feature, which lets you turn any app into a floating bubble that stays on top of other apps. You may like 7 major Android 17 announcements from Google's pre-I/O showcase Android 17 QPR1 beta 4 rolls out with Screen Reactions and performance fixes Google announced more Android 17 features than expected except these

This is probably most useful on large-screen devices like foldable phones and tablets which even get a dedicated Bubble bar at the bottom of the screen
for quickly resizing and switching between apps but it works with standard phones too, and with every app. 2. Screen Reactions (Image credit: Google) Screen Reactions is a feature that Google has already heavily advertised, but its available now in finished form. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals,
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This lets you capture your phones screen and record yourself with the front-facing camera simultaneously, with the video from the selfie camera appearing in a small window on top of the screen recording.

This makes it easy to record reaction videos or tutorials without having to use multiple apps or a green screen. 3. Android Parental Controls for all devices (Image credit: Google) Android Parental Controls rolled out last year for Pixel phones, but now theyre expanding to all Android 17 devices. What to read next Google announces 7 new Android features for June Android 17 may allow Pixel users to hide the home screen search bar Google's Android Show: start times and expected Android 17 updates

Since Pixels are the only phones getting Android 17 currently, this wont actually be a new feature for anyone yet, but once other brands roll out Android 17, it will be.

With these new controls, parents will be able to set screen time limits, downtime schedules, control usage of specific apps, and set up app store filters to limit what children can download. 4. Foldable gaming mode (Image credit: Google) If youre a gamer with a foldable phone, then Android 17 has exactly the tool youve probably been waiting for, as Google has developed an optimized 50/50 layout that lets you use your phone like a Nintendo DS, with
a view of the game itself on the top screen and a dynamic gamepad below. With this new mode enabled, there are no buttons obscuring your view of the game.

That said, Google says this feature will be available in the coming months,
so even though its part of Android 17, you wont be able to access it yet
(this is the last not-yet-available feature in our list we promise!). 5. Contact Picker (Image credit: Google) Contact Picker is a small but potentially very useful new feature that lets you choose to just share specific contacts with apps.

Previously, if an app needed access to a contact, youd have to give it access to all of your contacts, which, from a privacy perspective, is far from
ideal, so now you can be selective.

This is one of several new privacy and security features in Android 17, with others including the ability to grant apps temporary access to your precise location and improvements to Live Threat Detection, so your phone can block more scams and suspicious apps. 6. Continue On (Image credit: Google) With Continue On, you can start a task such as editing a document or composing a message on one device and seamlessly continue it on another, similarly to
how Apple s Handoff feature works.

Initially, this only works between phones and tablets, but Google has plans
to extend it to the web, so youll be able to continue using apps on larger devices too.

It also requires developers to implement the feature, so it wont work at all for every app, but it could be very useful where it is supported. 7. Hide app labels (Image credit: Google) Another small feature, but one that could drastically change the look of your home screens, is the option now to hide app labels, so theres less text on the screen, potentially making it look
less cluttered.

Of course, the downside is youll need to be able to recognize apps from their icons, or just be left guessing which app is which, but for some people this feature could be a big deal. Today's best Android phone deals Contract Deals Sim Free Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 (White) Samsung Galaxy S26 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 40 upfront 30.50 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices gift Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 500GB data 45 upfront 37.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices Google Pixel 10 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts Unlimited data 30 upfront 36.81 /mth View at O2 Mobiles See all prices Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 50 upfront 57 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Google Pixel 10a 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 1GB data 30 upfront 20 /mth View at Vodafone Ltd See all prices Google Pixel 10 Pro 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 100GB
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/android/7-of-the-best-android-17-features-ava ilable-now-from-bubbles-to-screen-reactions


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