Google confirms Android 17 Beta is coming soon

Google changed the release schedule for new Android versions last year, and the company is expected to follow the same timeline for Android 17. Google has confirmed that the first beta version of Android 17 is coming soon, and it could arrive as early as this month or next month.

The initial beta release will be called Android 17 Beta 1. This naming is interesting because Google is not using the Developer Preview label for it, which is typically the case for first beta releases of Android. Instead, the company is moving directly to the Beta 1 designation, which suggests this could be the first public beta release.

The update is expected to introduce several new features and improvements, including better gaming features, that will reach Android phones and tablets later this year.

Pixel users who are currently on Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1 and choose to remain in the Android Beta Program will automatically get the Android 17 Beta 1 update. If they don't wish to receive that beta update, they should exit the beta program.

Following several beta builds over the next few months, Google will likely release the stable version of Android 17 before the end of the first half of the year.

For reference, Android 16 Developer Preview 1 was released in November 2024, and the first Android 16 public beta arrived in January 2025. The operating system reached platform stability in March 2025, with the stable public release following in June 2025.

Samsung is expected to base One UI 9 on Android 17. Because the Galaxy S26 series will debut with One UI 8.5, which is based on the Android 16 (Quarterly Platform Release 2) QPR2 build, the first devices to launch with Android 17 and One UI 9 will likely be the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Those foldable phones are expected to be announced in July this year.

The Galaxy S26 series could receive the beta version of One UI 9 in June or July this year. One UI 9 could bring glassy visual effects and an App Lock feature.