Android 17 is live, but I’m still waiting for these key upgrades to drop
Google officially announced Android 17 in May this year, though the Mountain View tech giant launched the update a month later, on June 16.
The update is now available on all eligible Pixel phones.
The release timeline isn’t any different from Android 16, which launched during the same timeframe last time.
Android 17 has one more similarity with its predecessor.
As with the first stable Android 16 release, many Android users, myself included, criticized Google for holding back some exciting features in the initial Android 17 rollout.
On the flip side, Android 17 has far more interesting elements in it than Android 16 — for both users and developers.
As a user, my main motivation for installing the first stable release of Android 17 was to prepare my phone for some of the handy tools coming with Android 17 QPR (Quarterly Platform Release) updates.
Android 17 is live, but I’m still waiting for these upgrades to drop.
Lock multiple apps at once via settings to prevent unauthorized access
I was surprised to see the Screen Reaction feature in the initial Android 17 release, as I was expecting it to arrive in the Android 17 QPR1 update due in September.
I was also a bit upset, as I was hoping Google would finally add a native Apple Lock to its Pixel UI with the release of Android 17.
Maybe it was never to be available in the initial Android 17 rollout. But what worries me more is that we might not see it in the QPR1 update either.
A native App Lock feature, when available, will allow Pixel users to lock multiple apps at once from Settings. To unlock these apps, you’ll need either a PIN or biometrics.
In one of its recent APK teardowns, Android Authority found code strings in the Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 release, suggesting that App Lock is still in the development phase.
So, even if not in QPR1, I expect it to arrive in the Android 17 QPR2 release.
But until that happens, Private Space is your best bet if you want to prevent unauthorized access to your apps without a third-party solution.
The Quick Settings upgrade that makes Android phones safer
Android 17 already offers some useful privacy and security updates, but none of those feel useful to me.
Instead, I’m intrigued that a new Android 17 feature is in the works that would allow me to lock Quick Settings.
Folks over at Android Authority discovered the feature in the QPR1 Beta 5 update, and according to the details revealed, Quick Settings, other than the flashlight, won’t be accessible on locked devices.
This not only prevents unauthorized changes to the Quick Settings, but it also eliminates the chance of accidental toggles when the phone is in your pocket.
You’ll need to unlock your phone first and then change the Quick Settings.
This feature isn’t available for beta testers yet, but since Google is actively working on it, I hope the company introduces this feature in future QPR updates.
I’m still waiting for Gemini Intelligence to make Android 17 proactive enough
At this year’s Google I/O, one of the company’s biggest announcements was Gemini Intelligence.
However, most of what we know about it is from the demo the company showed at its annual developer conference.
I don’t know how useful it will be, but I can’t wait to try out how Gemini Intelligence makes my Android 17 phone understand screen context and automatically complete multistep tasks.
Gemini Intelligence will work across apps, so everything from shopping to filling out lengthy forms will be possible in Android 17. I’m also excited to try the AI-generated widgets capability.
However, what’s disappointing is that Gemini Intelligence will be limited to select Android devices when it rolls out.
The Google Pixel 10 series and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series are expected to be among the first few devices to get access to Gemini Intelligence. And I can’t wait to try it on my Pixel and Galaxy phones.
Google confirmed that Gemini Intelligence will arrive “later this summer,” so we can expect it to be available for users by the end of August.
Android 17 may finally convince me to buy a new phone
I haven’t committed yet, but what’s coming next in Android 17 sounds appealing enough to justify buying a new premium phone that has all the power to run those features smoothly.
Still, something like App Lock or the ability to lock Quick Settings doesn’t require a powerful phone, but the AI features in Gemini Intelligence certainly need highly advanced hardware specs.
While handsets like the Galaxy S26 already have the power to run Google’s on-device AI suite, I would wait a few more months to buy a new flagship phone that’s best for Gemini Intelligence.
However, my decision will largely depend on how well Gemini Intelligence performs in real-world scenarios.
