Google’s Android Show is ahead Next week is I/O 2026just finished, and the company showed off some of the key announcements and features coming to Android 17 later this year. As expected, there were major AI-oriented improvements around TwinsAlong with new UI changes for Android Auto, updated safety features and even some visual updates to Android.
Google also gave us a sneak peek a new category of laptops coming later this year. The keynote was packed with announcements, and below we’ve rounded up the top five Android 17 improvements showcased during the event.
Gemini is smarter
Gemini has already become a central part of Android, and it looks like Google is doubling down on that with a smarter version of AI. Google calls this new system Gemini Intelligence, and it will power a number of new systems Android 17 features later this year.
With Gemini Intelligence, Android will be able to handle more complex tasks than ever before. right now Automation of twins on the screen can already do things like ordering food or calling a taxi on devices like Galaxy S26 series and The Pixel 10 lineup. With improved Gemini Intelligence, it will also be able to perform more advanced tasks like checking Gmail, finding books and even adding them directly to your shopping cart.
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two of the biggest new features supported by Gemini intelligence Rambler and Create My Widget. Rambler is an enhanced speech-to-text experience for Pixel devices. It understands more natural speech patterns, including pauses, corrections, and filler words like “umms” and “ahhs,” and formats them correctly during transcription. It also supports multilingual input, meaning you can switch between languages naturally as you speak.
Another feature, and probably my favorite, is AI-powered widget creation. With Gemini Intelligence, you’ll be able to create custom widgets just by describing what you want. Gemini can receive information from other Google apps and create widgets tailored to your needs.
For example, you can create a widget that displays multiple world clocks at once or tracks your daily calorie intake. This will sync across other Google devices, including widgets Wear OS watches and Google books later this year.
Quick Share to AirDrop support is coming to more devices
Late last year, Google added support Android’s Quick Share and to share files between appleAirDrop in the Pixel 10 series and then expanded it to the Pixel 9 lineup earlier this year. Samsung too introduced the feature in the Galaxy S26 series and recently expanded it to the Galaxy S25 lineup and some older devices.
Now more Android phones will support this feature. Google says there will also be devices from partners like Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi and Honor Get support for Quick Share to AirDrop transfers. And for devices that don’t support native sharing, Google says users will still be able to generate a QR code to transfer files to iPhones via the cloud.
Google is also improving the process of switching from iPhone to Android. The company says that more complex data, including saved passwords and even your home screen layout, will now carry over when switching from an iPhone to an Android phone – something that was previously missing.
We’ve all been there, pick up the phone to do something quick and then Instagram or scroll TikTok longer than intended. With the new Android, Google wants to help users break this habit A feature called Pause Point.
Pause Point lets you mark certain apps as distracting, and when you open them, Android will first display a short 10-second pause screen before continuing. During this time, it might suggest things like breathing exercises, setting a timer for an app, looking at your favorite pictures, or even switching to something less distracting, like an audiobook program.
Google says this approach works better than traditional app timers because they’re easy to turn off or ignore. Pause Point instead adds more friction, and if you want to turn it off completely, Android will require a full restart of the phone before the feature can actually be turned off.
Android is finally getting redesigned 3D emojis
Probably the smallest, but somehow one of the biggest announcements during today’s Android Show keynote was that Android finally has redesigned 3D emojis. For years, people have complained that Android emojis look too flat and uninspiring, especially compared to those on iPhones, and Google is finally changing that.
Google has yet to show off the full redesigned emoji set, only providing a few examples so far, but the company says the new 3D emojis will start rolling out to Pixel devices later this year.
Android 17 adds stronger protections against fraud and spoofing
Google already claims it Android blocks more scams and scams than iPhoneand with Android 17, the company is making these protections even stronger. Google says it is partnering with selected banks and financial institutions new anti-spoofing call protection.
Basically, if you get a call from someone posing as your bank, your Android phone will be able to check if the call is legitimate in the background with the official banking app installed on your phone. If it detects something suspicious, it can immediately call and hang up.
Google is also improving Live Threat Detection. Android 17 will now scan apps for suspicious behavior, including things like SMS forwarding, incognito background running, or abusing accessibility overlays.
Chrome on Android is getting stronger Safe Browsing protection. If you try to download an APK or app from a third-party source, Chrome will actively scan it for malware and block the download if it detects anything malicious.
Find Hub also gets a useful new security feature with an improved “Mark as Lost” mode. When you mark your phone as lost, Android 17 can now lock the device behind biometric authentication in addition to your PIN or password. This adds another layer of protection, preventing anyone from unlocking the device even if they know the password.
Android will also hide Quick Settings when the device is locked, preventing thieves from turning off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which can be very important when you’re trying to track a lost phone.
But that’s not all…
All in all, Google is preparing a pretty big Android 17 update for later this year. We expect most of these features to come around Pixel 11 launch window in August or September or later via Android 17 QPR release.
And these were not the only announcements. Google also demonstrated its innovations Gemini integration is coming to Chrome On Android with a number of developer-focused improvements.
This was probably the most interesting announcement from the keynote Google’s new Googlebook laptopit looks like the company’s next big step away from Chromebooks and into a more Gemini-focused computing experience.
