Google Rolls Out Android 17, Wear OS 7, and Android XR Glasses

Google has officially begun rolling out Android 17 to Pixel phones, with other manufacturers expected to receive the update throughout 2026. The new OS introduces Bubbles — floating app windows activated by a long press — along with a dedicated “bubble bar” dock for easier multitasking on foldables and tablets. Android 17 also brings the Continue On feature, similar to Apple’s Handoff, allowing users to start a task on their phone and continue on a tablet where they left off. Initially, this works only from phone to tablet, with bidirectional support planned later.

Additional Android 17 features include improved gamepad controls for Pixel foldables, with native controller remapping rolling out in the coming months. Google has also added Pixel Glow — light animations on the back of the device that signal important activity when the phone is face down. The second Android 17 beta is available, introducing one-time location sharing with apps and a persistent indicator when a non-system app accesses location.

Google also announced Wear OS 7, which brings iPhone-style Live Updates to smartwatches, letting users track deliveries and sports scores from their wrist. The platform introduces Wear Widgets, which resemble Android widgets and come in small and large layouts. Gemini Intelligence will be available on select watches later this year.

In the augmented reality space, Google and Xreal have opened preorders for the Xreal Aura glasses at $99, with a full launch expected this fall in the US, UK, Japan, Canada, and South Korea. These are the second Android XR devices after the Samsung Galaxy XR headset ($1,799). Xreal has been designated a lead hardware partner for Android XR. The glasses feature a more powerful compute puck with a fingerprint scanner, and preorder customers within the first two weeks receive a $199 credit, saving $100 on the final price.