Google’s Android Show, ahead of the I/O 2026 next weekjust concluded and the company showed off some important announcements and features coming to Android 17 later this year. As expected, there were big AI-focused improvements. Geminialong with new UI changes for Android Auto, updated safety features, and even some visual updates to Android.
Google also gave us a sneak peek of a new category of laptops will arrive at the end of this year. The keynote was packed with announcements, and below we’ve rounded up the top five Android 17 updates shown off during the event.
Gemini is getting smarter
Gemini has already become a core part of Android, and it looks like Google is doubling down with an even smarter version of the AI. Google calls this new system Gemini Intelligence and will promote a series of new Android 17 features later this year.
With Gemini Intelligence, Android will be able to handle even more complex tasks than before. Right now, Gemini On-Screen Automation You can now do things like order food or call a taxi on devices like the Galaxy S26 series and Pixel line 10. With the updated Gemini Intelligence, you’ll also be able to perform more advanced tasks, like checking your Gmail, searching for books, and even adding them directly to your shopping cart.
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Two of the biggest new features powered by Gemini Intelligence They are Rambler and Create My Widget. Rambler is an improved speech-to-text experience for Pixel devices. It understands more natural speech patterns, including pauses, corrections, and filler words like ‘umms’ and ‘ahhs,’ and formats them correctly while transcribing. It also supports multilingual input, meaning you can switch between languages naturally as you speak.
The other feature, and probably my favorite, is the creation of AI-powered widgets. With Gemini Intelligence, you can create custom widgets just by describing what you want. Gemini can extract information from other Google applications and generate widgets tailored to your needs.
For example, you could create a widget that displays multiple world clocks at once or one that tracks your daily calorie intake. These widgets will also sync with other Google devices, including Use watches with operating system and google books at the end of this year.
Quick Share to AirDrop support coming to more devices
At the end of last year, Google added support to share files between Android Quick Share and Apple‘s AirDrop on the Pixel 10 series and then expanded it to the Pixel 9 line earlier this year. Samsung too introduced the feature on the Galaxy S26 series and recently expanded it to the Galaxy S25 line and some older devices.
Now, even more Android phones will support this feature. Google says devices from partners like Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi and Honor too get support for Quick Share to AirDrop transfers. And for devices that don’t support native sharing, Google says users will still be able to generate a QR code to transfer files over the cloud to iPhones.
Google is also improving the process of switching from iPhone to Android. The company says that more complex data, including saved passwords and even the home screen layout, will now be transferred when switching from an iPhone to an Android phone, something that was previously missing.
We’ve all been there, picking up the phone to do something quick and then ending up scrolling through Instagram or tiktok for much longer than expected. Google wants to help users break that habit with a new Android feature called Pause Point.
Pause Point allows you to mark certain apps as distracting and every time you open them, Android will first display a brief 10-second pause screen before allowing you to continue. During that time, you can suggest things like breathing exercises, set a timer for the app, look at favorite photos, or even switch to something less distracting, like an audiobook app.
Google says this approach works better than traditional app timers because they are easy to disable or ignore. Instead, Pause Point adds more friction, and if you want to disable it completely, Android will require a full restart of the phone before the feature can be disabled.
Android will finally receive redesigned 3D emojis
Probably the smallest, but in some ways one of the biggest, announcements during today’s Android Show keynote was that Android is finally getting redesigned 3D emojis. For years, people have complained that Android emojis look too flat and boring, especially compared to those on iPhones, and Google is finally changing that.
Google hasn’t shown off the full set of redesigned emojis yet, only showing a few examples so far, but the company says the new 3D emojis will start rolling out to Pixel devices later this year.
Android 17 adds stronger protections against scams and fraud
Google already states that Android blocks more scams and fraud than the iPhoneAnd with Android 17, the company is pushing those protections even further. Google says it is partnering with select banks and financial institutions to new anti-spoofing call protection.
Basically, if you receive a call from someone impersonating your bank, Android will be able to verify in the background with the official banking app installed on your phone whether the call is legitimate or not. If you detect anything suspicious, you can dial and end the call immediately.
Google is also improving live threat detection. Android 17 will now scan apps for suspicious behavior, including things like SMS forwarding, hidden launches in the background, or misuse of accessibility overlays.
Chrome on Android is also getting stronger safe browsing protections. If you try to download an APK or app from a third-party source, Chrome will actively scan it for malware and block the download if it detects anything harmful.
Find Hub is also getting a useful new security feature with an updated “Mark as Lost” mode. When you mark your phone as lost, Android 17 can now lock the device using biometric authentication in addition to your PIN or password. This adds another layer of protection, preventing someone from unlocking the device even if they somehow know the passcode.
Android will also hide Quick Settings while the device is locked, preventing thieves from disabling Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which can be crucial when you’re trying to track a lost phone.
But that’s not all…
Overall, Google is preparing a pretty major Android 17 update for later this year. We expect most of these features to arrive around Pixel 11 release window in August or September, or possibly via a later version of Android 17 QPR.
And these weren’t the only ads either. Google also showed new Gemini integrations are coming to Chrome on Android, along with several creator-focused improvements.
That said, probably the most interesting announcement from the keynote was Google’s new line of Googlebook laptopswhich looks like the company’s next big step beyond Chromebooks and toward a more Gemini-centric computing experience.
