Google's second Android 17 beta delivers floating app windows and a cross-device Handoff API that mirrors Apple's ecosystem continuity feature, accelerating Android's transformation into a desktop-capable platform. The update arrived less than two weeks after the first beta, targeting Platform Stability in March ahead of a June stable release.
Pixel testers receive Beta 2 over-the-air, while developers can access final SDK 37 APIs next month to prepare apps for Google Play publication.
Bubbles introduce a new windowing mode separate from messaging bubbles, allowing users to create floating app instances by long-pressing launcher icons. On tablets and foldables, a bubble bar within the taskbar organizes and anchors these windows, functioning like desktop utilities with full application functionality inside each popup.
Google's new Handoff API enables application states to resume on nearby Android devices or web versions when native apps aren't installed. The system displays handoff suggestions in launchers and taskbars, creating workflow continuity across phones, tablets, and external displays.
This directly parallels Apple's Handoff feature that moves tasks between Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Desktop mode advances significantly in Beta 2, with external monitors supporting resizable overlapping windows through a taskbar interface. Apps launch in freeform windows that can be dragged, resized, and snapped to screen edges, transforming phones into primary computing devices when docked.
Privacy improvements include an EyeDropper API that lets apps sample screen colors without screen capture permissions and a Contacts Picker granting temporary session-based access to specific fields instead of broad contact permissions.
A three-hour OTP delay blocks unintended SMS recipients from reading verification codes immediately.
Touchpad compatibility now reports pointer movements as mouse events by default, improving first-person game responsiveness while maintaining absolute finger-tracking mode for developers needing raw location data. The ACCESS_LOCAL_NETWORK permission prevents unauthorized LAN scanning without user consent.
"continues our work to build a platform that prioritizes privacy, security, and refined performance."
Google vice president Matthew McCullough stated the update in a blog post. The company will service Android 17 through quarterly releases including a minor SDK update in Q4 2026.
