A few days ago, Google said it would soon release the first Android 17 beta, and it did, but it was also quick to halt the release without any explanation. Well, the good news is that Google has resumed releasing Android 17 Beta 1, and it’s now available for Pixel devices.
Google says this build continues its work for more adaptable Android apps and brings significant enhancements to camera and media capabilities. Additionally, the Android 17 build includes expanded profiles for companion devices and new tools to optimize connectivity.
Google has also replaced Developer Previews with Android Canary, which was introduced last year. The continuous Canary channel offers three main benefits listed below:
- Faster Access: Features and APIs land in Canary as soon as they pass internal testing, rather than waiting for a quarterly release.
- Better Stability: Early “battle-testing” in Canary results in a more polished Beta experience with new APIs and behavior changes that are closer to being final.
- Easier Testing: Canary supports OTA updates (no more manual flashing) and, as a separate update channel, more easily integrates with CI workflows and gives you the earliest window to give immediate feedback on upcoming potential changes.
In addition to announcing the release of the first Android 17 beta, Google also announced that it will quickly move from this beta to its Platform Stability milestone, targeted for next month.
The internet search giant also talked about its plans for quarterly Android 17 updates, meaning the next release will arrive in Q2 2026, and it’s the one with which Google will introduce planned app-breaking behaviour changes. A minor SDK release is planned for Q4.
If you have a Pixel device already enrolled in the Android beta program, you’ll receive Android 17 Beta 1 as an OTA update. If not, you can head this way to enroll in the beta program and check the list of eligible devices here.
In case you don’t have an eligible Pixel device, you can use the 64-bit system images with the Android Emulator in Android Studio to try Android 17 Beta 1.
