The Android 17 betas are really heating up right now. A month later Beta 2 and Beta 3Android 17 Beta 4 is now available in just three weeks. This is the last “planned” beta release, meaning the stable update is only a few months away.
The third beta came with Platform Stability, so there’s not much new to talk about this time around. If you haven’t seen our app new multitasking tools and desktop modethese are two of the biggest features of Android 17. But back to Android 17 Beta 4.
Record updates
Software memory limitations
To create a more stable and deterministic environment for your apps and Android users, Android introduces application memory limits based on the device’s total RAM. In Android 17, the limits are set conservatively to build system cores that target excessive memory leaks and other outliers before they become system-wide instabilities that result in UI stuttering, more battery drain, and app crashes.
Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) in Android Keystore.
Android Keystore added support for NIST-standard ML-DSA (Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm). On supported devices, you can generate ML-DSA keys and use them to generate quantum-secure signatures entirely on the device’s secure hardware.
Background noise hardening
Starting with Android 17, the audio framework imposes restrictions on background audio interactions, including voice playback, audio focus requests, and volume change APIs. Based on your feedback, we’ve made some changes since beta 2, including the implementation of FGS on use and a targetSDK transition that is exempt from alarming. Full details are available in the updated manual.
As always, we invite you to read on full blog post on the Android Developers blog for all the technical details. Google also shared long list of bug fixes For Beta 4 on the Android Beta subreddit.
Android 17 Beta 4 is available for all Pixel generations from Pixel 6 to Pixel 10, including the Fold and A series. Sign up official android beta app Now to get the update as OTA on your phone. Android 16 was released in June last year, and Android 17 seems on schedule for a similar launch.
