Android developmet rhythm is unstoppable. Google has established a release schedule several years ago and the arrival of the new Android 17 is expected for 2026. There are still several months until the launch of a new operating system from Google, but rumors and preliminary information is already circulating.
There are some clues about the internal name of Android 17 and some possibilities about features and other characteristics. In this article you can find all the important information about the newest Android features and updates all around the Internet.
Release schedule for Android 17
There is no official release date from Google yet. But the release schedule of Google has become very predictable. Taking the previous years launch into account the possible roadmap for Android 17 can be possibly
- February, 2026. The first Developer Preview of Android 17 may arrive by the second month of the year. This is a very early version for developers to start experimenting with the new API for
- May, 2026. During the Google I/O 2026 you may find the first public beta. This tends to be a more stable version with the main features already avalaible for users.
- Summer, 2026. After several betas, the platform stability is reached. By this time the new features are already presented. If the release schedule remains, by June there will be an official and stable update.
Which dessert does Android 17 represent?
The internal code name of Android is not used in marketing strategies anymore but it still remains a practice among the developer team. Older users of Android will remember that each Android version had a name taken from a dessert. Although these codenames haven’t been present on marketing over the recent years, it’s a practice still used in private in Google.
Android 17 is called Cinnamon Bun. The name does not only confirm the name of the API 37 but the predictable alphabetical order of the internal names. After Android 15 Vanilla Ice Cream there was expectacion for Android 16 to start with W. However, Google chose Baklava as the name and restarted the alphabetical counter.
It was not an innocent or casual move. Android 16 marked the start for a new development model for Google called Trunk Stable. This strategy includes a more disciplined way to build the operating system. From this restart point onwards, the Android 17 should start with the C and Cinnamon Bun sounds as the chosen dessert.
Android Canary and the future of the operating system
Traditionally, the Developer Preview at the beginning of the year was the first contact with a new Android version. However, Google changed the rules by opening the update preview channel for Google Pixel devices: Canary.
This program runs in parallel with the betas and gives earlier and more direct access to Android 17 development. It’s similar to the one used in the Chrome web browser, the most experimental stage of it. Whereas betas stand for certain stability, Android Canary updates constantly with the latest changes made by Google’s engineers. Taking this into account, the new features for Android 17 may appear even sooner than the Developer Preview of 2026 thanks to Canary
The updates from Canary are a great source for information in real time about the future of the operating system. It’s also a tool to review AOSP development after the changes that made it even more private than in the past.
All about the newest Android 17
The little changes on the interface with the redesign of Material 3 Expressive can’t be known yet. However, there’s already a big change on the rumor table for this new Android 17. It will mean the unification of Google operating systems.
Chrome OS and Android will merge according toe Sameer Samat, the big responsible for a Android. He said that they are taking the ChromeOS experience to rebuild the subyacent Android technology.
Even if it’s not entirely related to Android 17, Samat expressed that they are very excited about next year. The near future may see an unificated operating system experience from Google. One of the key elements of this merging would be taking AI advances from mobile to portable computers.
If this becomes a reality, then it would mean the end of years of work to create an ecosystem “Made by Google” capable of sharing an exclusive experience for mobile phones, tablets and computers. It seems that Android is following the steps of HarmonyOS Next from Huawei and other similar platforms.
Which mobile phones will be compatible?
The list of mobile phones that will update to the newest Android version will arrive on the following months. However, the current update policies allow for an approximation.
Google Pixel models have a 7 years update policy. It will include the following devices
- Google Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL.
- Google Pixel 9, 9Pro and 9 Pro XL.
- Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.
- Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.
- Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.
- Google Pixel 9a, 8a, 7a and 6a.
Other manufacturers
The mobile phones from Sony, Motorola, Xiaomi, Nothing and the rest of manufacturers will update to Android 17 depending on their own customization layers.