Android 17 will introduce a new feature called Continueallowing users to resume app activities seamlessly on Android devices. Similar to Apple’s Handoff, this feature allows you to transfer ongoing tasks from one device to another without having to manually navigate to the same point.
Google announced Continue in the developer documentation instead of during the I/O Keynote 2026. The feature will launch alongside Android 17. Initially, it will support mobile-to-tablet transfer, with device support expected to expand next.
How Android 17’s new Continue On feature works
When a user is working on a supported app on an Android device, selecting another nearby device that also supports the feature will display a suggestion in the taskbar to open the same app. Choosing this suggestion opens the app and picks up right where the user left off on the first device.
The transfer works both ways. Google says there is no main device hierarchy. Any Android device with Continue on enabled can send and receive activity from any other device with Continue on enabled.
Google’s developer documentation includes examples such as:
- A Google Doc opened on a phone resumes in the same tab when the user picks up a tablet.
- A Gmail thread opened on a phone opens in the Gmail web interface on a tablet.
App?to?Web Fallback and where it will be available Continue
Continue allows users to transfer from an application to the web version of a service. It is up to the developer whether an app uses a web fallback, but this mechanism also acts as a fallback if the device does not have the corresponding app installed. This means that the transfer can still work if the user has the app on their phone but not their tablet, and the web version is opened instead.
Dragon will be introduced as part of Android 17. Initially, support is limited to transitions between mobile devices and tablets. Google has not announced when support will be expanded to other device pairings or a final release date for Android 17.
The operating system is currently in beta, and QPR1 Beta 1 is now available for Pixel users. The Continue developer documentation is now available for app developers preparing to roll out support ahead of the release of Android 17.
