Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Android 17 QPR1 Beta replaces predictive taskbar apps with your most recently used apps.
- On foldable devices, the taskbar locks your last two active apps specifically to the dock.
Scrolling through the app drawer on a large Android screen always felt like an unnecessary speed bump. That friction is finally being addressed by Google with a small but much-needed change to how you manage your device.
The latest Android 17 QPR1 Beta the taskbar no longer shows projected apps at the end of the dock. Instead, it now shows you the most recently opened apps, so the interface behaves more predictably.
Mishal Rahman, Google’s head of Android community relations, confirmed the change X and shared a clip showing the new behavior. Apps that Android thought it might want to launch next lived on the right side task bar. Sometimes the prediction system could be useful, but it meant that the shortcuts were always changing, so it was almost impossible to develop any muscle memory.
The taskbar in Android 17 QPR1 Beta now shows the last two apps you’ve actually used folding phone. The change makes more sense for anyone switching between documents, browsers, messaging apps or productivity tools on a large-screen device.
The update also brings Android’s multitasking experience closer to that of desktop operating systems, where it’s easier to return to more recently used apps than algorithmic suggestions.
This feature is currently part of the QPR beta track, meaning it is still being tested before being released to the general public. It doesn’t change the taskbar, but it makes it more consistent and easier to trust in everyday use.
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