Google rolls out Android 17 and Wear OS 7 with AI‑powered features and tighter security

On 16‑17 June 2026 Google began the stable rollout of Android 17, initially to Pixel 6 and newer devices, with the code soon to be released on the Android Open Source Project. The update introduces floating App Bubbles for multitasking, Screen Reactions that overlay a selfie video on screen recordings, a dedicated foldable gaming mode, one‑time precise location permissions, expanded parental controls and a biometric‑locked “Mark as Lost” function. Android 17 also tightens privacy—apps can now request temporary exact location and share individual contacts only—and adds stricter PIN‑guess limits, real‑time threat detection and on‑device scam‑call detection driven by Google’s Gemini Nano AI.

Wear OS 7 launched simultaneously for supported smartwatches, including Pixel Watch and several third‑party models. New features include Live Updates that push real‑time information to the wrist, up to a 10‑15 % boost in battery life, deeper Google‑service integration, and Gemini‑driven widgets and multi‑step automations scheduled for later in 2026. The update also brings improved health tracking, a media‑output switcher and an optional Neural Expressive design language.

Google’s “Pixel Drop” bundle adds AI tools such as Gemini Omni for conversational video editing, Lyria 3 for text‑to‑music creation, and expanded Quick Share compatibility with Apple’s AirDrop. Some early Pixel users have reported an odd Wi‑Fi bug that may be linked to IPv6 settings, which Google is investigating.