New Android 17 beta is here with more than bug fixes

Blur of activity

Summary created by Smart Answers AI

In summary:

• Tech Advisor reports that Google released Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 at Google I/O, featuring new UI elements alongside standard bug fixes.
• The beta is available for Google Pixel 6 through Pixel 10 devices and will serve as the foundation for September’s Pixel Drop update.
• This release matters for Pixel users seeking early access to Android improvements before the official September rollout.

Google has rolled out Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 at Google I/O, and it adds a few new UI elements to the usual roster of bug fixes.

The first stable release of Android 17 is expected over the next month or so, but Google is already rattling through the beta releases for Android 17 QPR1, which will form the basis of the first big Pixel Drop update in September.

The new beta version requires you to be signed up to the Android beta programme, but otherwise should work on all Pixel phones from the Google Pixel 6 through to the current Google Pixel 10 range.

Here are some of the most notable Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 new features and changes, as highlighted by 9to5Google.

New animations

Google has added a bunch of new animations with this latest version of Android 17. Launch the camera with a double press of the power button, and the Camera UI will expand from the same side of the phone, pushing back the ‘fog of war’ of the lock screen.

There’s also a new ‘bouncy’ Quick Settings animation, which sees the menu spring back a little when you pull it down.

More blur

Besides those new animations, Google has simply added more of the background blur effect to the latest version of the Android 17 beta. As previously reported, ‘Blur’ could be considered the keyword for Android 17’s visual approach.

New media player interface

Google has provided a new UI for the media player controls on the Quick Settings menu. The new card layout offers a different way to switch between media apps, through tapping rather than swiping.

New screen recording menu

The screen recording menu will now default to the last used app, on top of the addition of toggles for recording device audio and the microphone.

Bug fixes

Google has also fixed a bunch of bugs in the latest Android 17 beta, including Wi-Fi disconnections, distorted audio during media playback, UI glitches when expanding to full-screen mode, Home Screen widgets disappearing, and more.

Here’s are Google’s full release notes if you want to track all of the bug fixes in this latest Android 17 beta.

Google Pixel 10

Rating of this product is 4.5 out of 5
Read our review