Android 17 Beta 3 Released for Pixel Devices: What’s New

Google has released Android 17 Beta 3 for Pixel devices, marking the arrival of Platform Stability. This update focuses on refining the operating system ahead of its public release, with final APIs and app-facing behaviors now locked in. This milestone signals the time for developers to finalize testing and ensure app compatibility for the upcoming launch.

What’s New in Android 17 Beta 3?

Beta 3 introduces several key enhancements and features, building upon the foundation laid by Beta 2 released in late February. Here’s a detailed seem at what’s new:

Bubbles for Any App

Bubbles, the floating windowing mode, are now fully enabled in Beta 3, allowing for more versatile multitasking.

Redesigned Screen Recording Toolbar

The screen recording experience has been improved with a redesigned floating toolbar, offering enhanced controls and capture settings for content creators. The UI is automatically excluded from the final video.

Hidden App Labels on the Home Screen

Android 17 introduces a user setting to hide app names (labels) on the home screen, providing a cleaner and more customizable look.

Media and Camera Enhancements

• Photo Picker Customization: Developers can now modify the grid view aspect ratio of the photo picker using the PhotoPickerUiCustomizationParams API, switching from a 1:1 square to a 9:16 portrait display for better UI integration.
• RAW14 Image Format: Professional camera apps can capture 14-bit per pixel RAW images using the ImageFormat.RAW14 constant, maximizing detail and color depth.
• Vendor-Defined Camera Extensions: Hardware partners can define custom camera extension modes (e.g., ‘Super Resolution’) and query them via the isExtensionSupported(int) API.
• Camera Device Type APIs: Apps can now identify whether a camera is built-in hardware, an external USB webcam, or a virtual camera.
• Bluetooth LE Audio Hearing Aids: A new device category (AudioDeviceInfo.TYPE_BLE_HEARING_AID) allows apps to distinguish hearing aids from generic LE Audio headsets.
• Granular Hearing Aid Audio Routing: Users can independently route system sounds (notifications, ringtones, alarms) to connected hearing aids or the device speaker.
• Extended HE-AAC Software Encoder: A new system-provided encoder (c2.android.xheaac.encoder) supports high and low bitrates for improved audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions.

Performance and Battery

• Reduced Wakelocks for Idle Alarms: A new callback-based variant of AlarmManager.setExactAndAllowWhileIdle accepts an OnAlarmListener instead of a PendingIntent, reducing power consumption for apps needing precise callbacks during Doze or Battery Saver modes.

Privacy and Security

• System-Provided Location Button: Apps can embed a secure, system-rendered location button via Jetpack, granting precise location access for the current session only without triggering a system dialog. Requires the USE_LOCATION_BUTTON permission.
• Discrete Password Visibility: “Indicate passwords” settings are now split between touch inputs and physical keyboards, with physical keyboards hidden immediately by default.
• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Hybrid Signing: Android introduces the v3.2 APK Signature Scheme, combining classical signatures with ML-DSA signatures to prepare for quantum computing advancements.

User Experience and System UI

• Widget Support on External Displays: Improved visual consistency for widgets across different pixel densities. RemoteViews.setViewPadding now accepts complex units (DP/SP), and widgets can retrieve specific DisplayMetrics.
• Desktop Interactive Picture-in-Picture (iPiP): Apps can request to be moved to a “pinned” windowing layer during desktop mode, remaining interactive and always-on-top. Requires USE_PINNED_WINDOWING_LAYER and PiP permissions.

Core Functionality & Health

• VPN App Exclusion Settings: VPN apps can use the ACTION_VPN_APP_EXCLUSION_SETTINGS intent to launch a system-managed screen where users can select apps to bypass the VPN tunnel.
• Dynamic System Font Fallback: Android now supports runtime updates to the font fallback chain, delivering updated emojis and typography without a full OS update.
• OpenJDK 21 & 25 Updates: Integration of modern OpenJDK features, including updated Unicode support and enhanced SSL support.
• Health Connect Device Data Providers (DDPs): Health Connect can now distinguish between data generated by apps and data originating directly from system-verified hardware.

How to Install Android 17 Beta 3

To install Android 17 Beta 3, you can opt-in through the Android Beta Program on your compatible Pixel device. Once opted in, check for updates in Settings > System > Software Updates > System Updates. System images are too available for download for the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, as well as the Android Emulator.

Providing Feedback

You can submit feedback through the Android Beta Feedback app on your Pixel device or via the Android Beta community on Reddit.