Android 17 beta 2 brings a new trick for multitasking and cross-device handoff
What you need to know
- In Android 17 Beta 2, users can now turn any app into a floating bubble by long-pressing the app icon on the launcher.
- Cross-device Handoff app allows you to continue tasks seamlessly across all Android devices.
- The system-level contact selector now restricts apps from accessing temporary read-only contacts.
- Android 17 beta 2 extends SMS OTP protection and strengthens local network privacy.
Google faced several problems with the first beta release of Android 17, but the company is not waiting long for the next release. Google has already started rolling out Android 17 beta 2 to developers.
Although it may seem like not much time has passed, Android 17 beta 2 constitutes an important update with several new features and many bug fixes, including a bug that caused automatic restarts and interface freezing.
Android 17 beta 2 comes with build number CP21.260206.011 and is approximately 510MB in size. Google addressed many bugs in this release, but also quietly introduced a few new features under the hood.
One of the new additions is Bubbles feature. Google describes Bubbles as a windowing mode feature, similar to how conversations pop up in bubbles on Android.
With Android 17 beta 2, users can now create app bubbles by long-pressing an app icon on the launcher. On larger screens, there is also a dedicated bubble bar on the taskbar where users can easily edit, move, and manage bubbles.
Android 17 beta 2 brings a lot of real customization
There’s also a new system-level connection selector. Instead of apps requiring full access to contacts, Android can now provide temporary read-only access to specific contact fields requested by the user.
Along with this, Google is introducing a new Cross-device app feature. The handoff feature allows you to start a task on one device and easily continue it on another. For example, you can start writing a note in the app on your Android phone and continue where you left off on your Android tablet.
Apple offered the same with Continuity, and now Google is bringing its version to Android.
When enabled, Android displays a handoff suggestion in the launcher to nearby devices. Google says this feature is designed to enable seamless workflow across the Android ecosystem.
According to the company, Handoff supports both native app-to-app transitions and app-to-web transitions, meaning the experience works even if the native app isn’t installed on the receiving device.
Additionally, Android 17 beta 2 also introduces a new EyeDropper API that allows developers to request a color from any pixel on the display without requiring sensitive screenshot permissions. There are also several privacy improvements, including extended SMS OTP protection and new protections against unauthorized local network access.
If you want to try Android 17 beta 2, make sure your Pixel device is enrolled in the Android Beta Program. The OTA update has already started rolling out, but if the update hasn’t appeared yet, you can sideload it or flash the factory image manually. Otherwise, you can wait for the stable release of Android 17, which is expected in mid-2026.
