Google’s new Googlebook laptops come with plenty of cross-device features, but there’s an important catch: you’ll need a phone running Android 17 to use some of the biggest ones.
Google has confirmed that features including task continuity, shared file and storage access, phone app streaming and synced notifications all require an Android 17 phone. That could leave some Googlebook owners unable to take full advantage of the laptop’s integration with their handset.
The problem is that Android 17 is still relatively new, so not every Android phone has it yet. Google’s Pixel phones are generally first in line for new Android versions, while Samsung has started rolling out its Android 17-based One UI 9 update to its latest foldables and some previous flagship phones.
Other manufacturers, including Xiaomi, Motorola and OnePlus, have also started limited Android 17 rollouts. But plenty of older and mid-range phones are still waiting, while some new devices are even launching with Android 16.
That means your Googlebook could be ready to share files, mirror apps and keep your notifications in sync, while your phone simply isn’t.
The app streaming feature also comes with its own limitations. Google says apps containing DRM-protected video or sensitive content, such as banking apps, won’t be streamed to the Googlebook. Instead, you’ll see a “privacy screen” when trying to access them from the laptop. That’s not particularly surprising, given similar restrictions on Samsung DeX and other screen-mirroring systems.
Still, the Android 17 requirement is worth knowing about before buying a Googlebook. One of the platform’s biggest selling points is how closely it works with your Android phone, but that experience currently depends on having relatively recent software.
If you’re using an older or mid-range Android handset, you may end up with a Googlebook that can do considerably more than your phone allows you to use. Google hasn’t indicated that these cross-device features will expand to older Android versions, so for now, Android 17 is the ticket to the full experience.
