Google rolling out Android 17 Beta 3 for Pixel

Exactly four weeks after the last release, Google is rolling out Android 17 Beta 3 for Pixel devices. This update features the Platform Stability milestone.

Here’s everything new in Android 17 Beta 3 [Gallery]

Platform Stability offers “final internal and external APIs, final app-facing behaviors, and final non-SDK API lists.”

After Platform Stability, you can expect no further changes affecting your apps. This is the time to begin final testing and development work needed to ensure that a compatible version of your app will be ready for users at the final release to the ecosystem. For major releases, Android will provide a standard API level at this time.

Bubbles for any app are “now fully enabled” in Beta 3

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Redesigned screen recording toolbar

Hidden app labels on the home screen

Android now provides a user setting to hide app names (labels) on the home screen workspace, accessible via the system customization and wallpaper picker settings.

Media and Camera Enhancements

• Photo Picker Customization: You can now modify the grid view aspect ratio of the photo picker. Using the PhotoPickerUiCustomizationParams API, you can switch from the default 1:1 square to a 9:16 portrait display, allowing for better UI integration.
• RAW14 Image Format: Professional camera apps can now capture 14-bit per pixel RAW images using the new ImageFormat.RAW14 constant, allowing for maximum detail and color depth from compatible sensors.
• Vendor-Defined Camera Extensions: Hardware partners can now define custom camera extension modes (e.g., ‘Super Resolution’ or AI enhancements). Query these via the isExtensionSupported(int) API.
• Camera Device Type APIs: Identify whether a camera is built-in hardware, an external USB webcam, or a virtual camera.
• Bluetooth LE Audio Hearing Aids: A new device category (AudioDeviceInfo.TYPE_BLE_HEARING_AID) allows apps to distinguish hearing aids from generic LE Audio headsets, enabling tailored UI iconography.
• Granular Hearing Aid Audio Routing: Users can independently route system sounds (notifications, ringtones, alarms) to either connected hearing aids or the device speaker. This is handled at the system level and requires no API changes.
• Extended HE-AAC Software Encoder: A new system-provided encoder (c2.android.xheaac.encoder) supports high and low bitrates for significantly better audio in low-bandwidth conditions, including mandatory support for loudness metadata to ensure consistent volume.

Performance and Battery

• Reduced Wakelocks for Idle Alarms: A new callback-based variant of AlarmManager.setExactAndAllowWhileIdle accepts an OnAlarmListener instead of a PendingIntent. This reduces power consumption and long partial wakelocks for apps (like medical monitors or messaging sockets) that need precise callbacks during Doze or Battery Saver modes.

Privacy and Security

• System-Provided Location Button: You can embed a secure, system-rendered location button via Jetpack. Tapping it grants your app precise location access for the current session only, without triggering a system dialog. Requires the USE_LOCATION_BUTTON permission.
• Discrete Password Visibility: “Show passwords” settings are now split between touch inputs (briefly echoes the last character) and physical keyboards (hidden immediately by default). Standard framework components respect this automatically; custom fields should migrate to the ShowSecretsSetting API.
• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Hybrid Signing: Android introduces the v3.2 APK Signature Scheme, combining classical signatures (RSA/Elliptic Curve) with ML-DSA signatures. This prepares apps for NIST standards and quantum computing advancements.

User Experience and System UI

• Widget Support on External Displays: Improved visual consistency for widgets across different pixel densities. RemoteViews.setViewPadding now accepts complex units (DP/SP), and widgets can retrieve specific DisplayMetrics via OPTION_APPWIDGET_DISPLAY_ID.
• Desktop Interactive Picture-in-Picture (iPiP): Apps can request to be moved to a “pinned” windowing layer during desktop mode (default on external displays). These pinned windows remain interactive and always-on-top. Requires USE_PINNED_WINDOWING_LAYER and PiP permissions.
• Hidden Home Screen App Labels: Users can now hide app labels on the home screen. Ensure your app icon is highly recognizable!
• Redesigned Screen Recording: A new floating toolbar improves recording controls and capture settings for creators. The UI is automatically excluded from the final video.
• Bubbles: The windowing mode feature introduced in Beta 2 is now fully enabled.

Core Functionality & Health

• VPN App Exclusion Settings: VPN apps can use the ACTION_VPN_APP_EXCLUSION_SETTINGS intent to launch a system-managed screen where users can select specific apps to bypass the VPN tunnel (split-tunneling).
• Dynamic System Font Fallback: Android now supports runtime updates to the font fallback chain, delivering updated emojis and typography without a full OS update.
• OpenJDK 21 & 25 Updates: Integration of modern OpenJDK features, including updated Unicode support and enhanced SSL support for named groups in TLS.
• Health Connect Device Data Providers (DDPs): Health Connect can now distinguish between data generated by apps and data originating directly from system-verified hardware (like Wear OS watches or the phone itself).

You can leave feedback with Android Beta Feedback on Pixel devices. Access it from the app drawer or Quick Settings to file bugs in the Google issue tracker. There’s also the Android Beta community on Reddit.

Android 17 Beta 3 system images are available for the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, as well as the Android Emulator.

You can easily join via the Android Beta Program to get an on-device OTA.