Google drops final Android 17 and Wear OS 7 for Pixel devices with Gemini Intelligence still to come

It’s a busy day for updates at Google with the release of the final versions of both Android 17 as well as Wear OS 7 overnight, alongside a new Pixel Drop full of new features for creators, Gemini upgrades and more.

Android 17

Google gave us an advance look at Android 17 during the pre Google IO Android Show back in May and has gone over some big name features for the rollout today. 

Google will bring new security and safety features to Android 17, including more fine-grain controls including granting temporary access to precise location for an app, or even sharing only select contacts from your address book. 

Losing your device to theft will be made more difficult for thieves, with less attempts at your pin-code on devices, and Google’s Find Hub will also be updated with the ability to lock a missing phone requiring your biometric unlock and negating access even if a thief has your passcode. 

Google says they will also be updating Live Threat Detection, blocking access to suspicious apps and even double checking incoming phone calls that appear to be from your bank with your banking app to see if the bank is calling you before allowing the call through. 

An enhanced Advanced Protection Mode will also use Dynamic signal monitoring to detect suspicious app permission changes, as well as other signs as well as offering improved protection against scams and more sophisticated threats. 

While more security is good, there’s a bunch of new user-facing features coming to Android 17 including more bubbles. Moving beyond simple chat windows, you can long-press any app icon to turn it into a floating app you can move around or over other apps on-screen. 

Google has also introduced a dedicated Bubble Bar for large screen devices showing you your bubble apps in a dock for easy access, as well as being able to maximise or resize them as you go.

Adding your own reaction videos for social media is now easier in Android 17 with a new toolbar for screen recording and annotation letting you quickly add yourself using your front-facing camera and without a green-screen. 

Gaming on foldables will be getting a boost with less frame drops and stuttering, as well as a new 50/50 layout that lets you keep the game on the top half of the screen with a dynamic gamepad on the second half of the display. 

Google will also be updating parental controls in Android 17 making it easier for parents to manage screen time for Children’s accounts. 

Found in the Android Settings, the Android Parental Controls will let you set screen time limits, set downtown schedules to automatically lock devices at night, set app store filters in Google Play and even limit time spent in specific apps, or block certain apps completely.

As we saw back during the pre Google IO Android Show back in May Android will bring Gemini Intelligence later this year. 

Gemini Intelligence will be a big step forward bringing the ability to do more for you including a more advanced (and personalised) auto-fill, the new more accurate voice typing feature – Rambler, and the ability to create a custom widget to monitor something for you. 

Pixel Drop

A part of the update to Android 17 is a Pixel Drop full of features which will roll out to Pixel devices. 

Headline features include the Android to Apple AirDrop compatibility coming to older Pixel 8a and 9a devices. 

Google will also update their Gemini models with new features including Gemini Omni – Google’s video and editing tool which will let you simply chat with Gemini and create videos based on photos or videos from your camera roll combined with text to make a video – or even a custom AI avatar of yourself. 

Google will also be updating more custom music creation in Gemini, letting you ‘describe an idea or upload a photo, and it’ll be transformed into a high-quality audio track with lyrics’ with Gemini letting you change style, vocals, and tempo. 

There’s also a new feature for the recently released Pixel 10a with Voice Translate coming to help. Voice Translate will work in real-time during voice calls to translate what the caller is saying, in their own voice – wild. 

Rollout

Android 17 will start rolling out to Pixel devices from today with devices including the Pixel Tablet, as well as Pixel phones from the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro upwards set to receive the update. You can check for the update on your Pixel phone by going to Settings > System > System Updates > System Update> Check for update.

Wear OS 7

Google’s watch OS will also get an update with features from Gemini Intelligence including custom dashboards and more also set to arrive later this year, but Wear OS 7 brings a host of new features.

Tracking the score of a game, or even your food arrival in real-time will be easier with Wear OS 7 bringing real-time tracking with at a glance Live Updates. 

You’ll also see the ability to control ‘connected devices’ including earbuds and the upcoming range of Android XR eyewear including seeing previews of photos taken with your glasses on your wrist. 

Google says you’ll have more control over audio streams on Wear OS, including controlling what’s playing on your headphones, Home speakers and even letting you switch audio from one device to another with a media switcher. 

The update to Wear OS 7 will also improve your battery says Google, who says that average users who upgrade their watches from Wear OS 6 to Wear OS 7 can expect up to 10% improvement in battery life.