Android 17’s 12 largest new options, from Gemini doing all your procuring to a panic button for doomscrolling – The Instances of India


Android 17's 12 biggest new features, from Gemini doing your shopping to a panic button for doomscrolling

Android 17 is not attempting to promote you one factor, which is uncommon. Google‘s second Android Present on Tuesday, every week earlier than I/O, ran by way of options that contact nearly each a part of the telephone: the homescreen, the digital camera, the dictation, the way in which you turn from an iPhone, the way in which you do not get scammed.A few of it’s AI-led, a few of it is not, and some of the neatest additions are those that will not present up in a demo reel. Most land first on the most recent Galaxy and Pixel telephones this summer time, with watches, vehicles and Google’s new Googlebook laptops following later within the yr.Listed here are the 12 that depend.

Inform Gemini to construct a procuring cart out of your notes app, and it’ll

Gemini can now sew actions throughout apps from a single immediate. Lengthy-press the ability button over a grocery listing in your notes app, ask it to construct a supply cart, carried out. See a journey brochure in a resort foyer, snap a photograph, ask Gemini to discover a comparable tour on Expedia for six folks. It runs the legwork within the background, pings you with progress, and stops simply earlier than the ultimate faucet—you are still the one inserting the order. The meals and rideshare automation that shipped on the Galaxy S26 earlier this yr now extends to many extra apps, and Gemini can fall again to Chrome if the related app is not put in.

Rambler listens to you ramble and writes what you meant

Rambler turns your ums and U-turns into a clean message

Gboard’s dictation already works, but it surely faithfully transcribes each “um” and each U-turn. Rambler fixes that. Communicate naturally, change your thoughts, get interrupted by your flatmate. It figures out what you really meant. In Google’s demo, a rep dictated a grocery listing, then stated “really, no, I do not want bananas.” The ultimate message left bananas out. It additionally handles language switching mid-sentence, so mixing English with Hindi in a single message ought to maintain up. Audio is processed within the cloud however is not saved, Google says.

Discuss a widget into existence with Create My Widget

Describe a widget out loud, get one on your homescreen

The trick of prompting a widget into existence is not new. Nothing’s Cellphone 3 has been doing it by way of its Important App for some time now, and Google’s Create My Widget brings the identical thought to Pixel and Galaxy—with voice as a substitute of typing. Three high-protein meal prep recipes that refresh each week? Ask. A bicycle owner’s climate widget that solely reveals wind pace and rain? Ask. The widgets aren’t tied to any particular app. They pull from wherever Gemini can attain, together with your individual knowledge when you choose into Private Intelligence. Product VP Mindy Brooks is asking it step one in generative UI for Android. Put on OS watches and the brand new Googlebooks get it too.

Chrome stops being a browser and begins operating errands

Gemini’s Chrome auto browse, already acquainted from desktop, involves Android in late June. Ask it to order a parking spot by way of SpotHero utilizing particulars out of your ticket affirmation, and it’ll. Swap pet meals for pet food on a Chewy order? Similar factor. It pauses for affirmation earlier than any buy or social submit, which is the one factor standing between you and a regrettable midnight basket. The characteristic wants an AI Professional or Extremely subscription at launch, runs on Gemini 3.1, and rolls out within the US first on units operating Android 12 or greater.

Autofill can now dig your passport quantity out of an outdated electronic mail

Filling out fiddly fields on cell is nobody’s favorite chore. Android 17 wires Autofill into Gemini’s Private Intelligence, so it could possibly pull your passport quantity from an outdated electronic mail or your licence plate from a Drive photograph and drop it into the correct subject. The entire connection is opt-in, and you’ll swap it off in settings at any time when the thought provides you a chill.

Pause Level places a 10-second pace bump earlier than Reels

A breathing exercise stands between you and the doomscroll

Tag sure apps as “distracting” and Android provides a 10-second timer earlier than it allows you to in. The display presents a respiration train, a session timer, a couple of favorite photographs to flip by way of, or a prompt various like an audiobook. None of it bodily stops you from opening Reels—but it surely forces a beat to ask why you are there. Turning Pause Level off requires a full telephone restart, which is a intelligent little bit of friction. Google says extra digital wellbeing instruments are due later this yr.

Display screen Reactions kills the inexperienced display for good

Film yourself reacting to your screen, no third-party app required

If you happen to’ve ever wished to make a type of response movies with the speaking head within the nook and the trending clip behind, Display screen Reactions does it and not using a inexperienced display or a third-party app. Document your selfie digital camera and your display on the identical time, and the entrance digital camera overlays as a cutout. Just a few faucets, no modifying tax. Pixel telephones get it first this summer time.

Instagram on Android lastly stops wanting worse than on iPhone

Google and Meta have patched up a long-standing gripe: Instagram captures seemed worse on Android than on iPhone, and everybody knew it. Android 17 brings Extremely HDR seize and playback to the Instagram digital camera, built-in video stabilisation, and Evening Sight integration. Google ran side-by-side exams utilizing the Common Video High quality mannequin and says flagship Android uploads now match or beat the main competitor.The Edits app picks up Android-exclusive instruments too: Good Improve, which upscales blurry photographs and movies on-device, and sound separation, which splits wind, music and voice into tracks you’ll be able to mute or enhance. Adobe Premiere can be coming to Android quickly—with templates for YouTube Shorts.

4,000 emoji get a glow-up, and the ramen really appears like ramen

Google has redrawn each emoji it ships. The brand new Noto 3D set provides depth, shading and a extra sculpted look. The bowl of ramen Google confirmed off really appears prefer it has noodles in it. They roll out throughout Gmail, Gboard, YouTube and the remainder of Google’s apps, beginning on Pixel telephones later this yr. RIP blob emoji, once more.

AirDrop opens as much as Xiaomi, Oppo and associates

The cross-platform sharing trick Google constructed final yr with out Apple’s assistance is opening up. Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi and Honor telephones get Fast Share to AirDrop compatibility later this yr, becoming a member of Pixel and Galaxy. In case your telephone is not on the listing, Fast Share can now spit out a QR code that any iPhone can scan to tug a file from the cloud. The characteristic can be coming inside particular apps, beginning with WhatsApp.

Apple and Google lastly make the iOS-to-Android switch painless

Switching from iPhone is wireless, and your homescreen comes too

Google and Apple have constructed a correct wi-fi switch from iPhone to Android. Passwords, photographs, messages, apps, contacts, eSIM and even your homescreen structure cross over. Apple shipped its facet of the bridge in iOS 26.3—however you wanted a appropriate Android 17 telephone to make use of it. Pixel and Galaxy get it first this yr, with different manufacturers following.

Spoofed calls die, OTPs conceal, biometrics lock the misplaced telephone

A selection of smaller upgrades rounds out the discharge. Android can now finish calls from numbers spoofing your financial institution, however solely when you’ve got the financial institution’s app put in and Google has partnered with it. Mark a telephone as misplaced through Discover Hub and now you can require biometric authentication to unlock it, so a stolen PIN now not fingers a thief your knowledge or monitoring settings. Android can even conceal one-time passwords from most apps for 3 hours after they arrive, slicing off a standard rip-off vector. Stay Risk Detection has been expanded to flag extra suspicious behaviour, and Chrome’s secure looking will scan APK downloads for identified malware earlier than they set up.Google I/O kicks off on Could 19. Given how a lot landed in the present day, the keynote ought to pivot to good glasses, extra Googlebook element, and no matter else Google has stored again.