The dedicated option key, also known as menu key, and its on-screen simulation, is no longer supported since Android version 10. More recent devices typically allow the former through a long press or swipe away from the home button. Many early Android OS smartphones were equipped with a dedicated search button for quick access to a web search engine and individual apps’ internal search feature. The recent list may appear side-by-side or overlapping, depending on the Android version and manufacturer. An “All Apps” screen lists all installed applications, with the ability for users to drag an app from the list onto the home screen.
We’ve also gotten our hands on Android 17 QPR betas and Android 16 QPR3 stable (with the March Pixel Drop), which give us a peek at unreleased features destined for the future. This release confirms the key features we’ll see in the Android 17 stable update. Android 17 beta releases are here, shedding light on confirmed features and Google’s plans. Upload your music library for free and listen to your music anywhere, on any device.

Requirements (Latest version)

Speculatively, the feature could tap into Google’s Gemini model to generate more personalized and powerful actions. In 2018, Android 9 released Smart Reply, which provides suggested replies as tappable chips beneath a notification for quick responses. With Android 17 Beta 3, the Wi-Fi toggle is also back to being a one-click toggle. With Android 17 Beta 3, the change is now live, though it remains to be seen if it will persist till the stable release. Within the Android 16 QPR2 source code release, there are clues suggesting Google may be looking to reverse this decision and split the Internet tile back into Wi-Fi and Mobile data toggles.

• Swiping down from the left side of the inner screen will open up notifications, while swiping down from the right will open Quick Settings.
• This ensures a consistent user experience with distinct icons while reusing existing watch role permissions.
• Android devices incorporate many optional hardware components, including still or video cameras, GPS, orientation sensors, dedicated gaming controls, accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, magnetometers, proximity sensors, pressure sensors, thermometers, and touchscreens.
• Now, the Recents screen displays the app’s icon and name, along with a downward-pointing arrow, within a small pill-shaped button overlaid on the task.
• Beginning with Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean”, “expandable notifications” allow the user to tap an icon on the notification in order for it to expand and display more information and possible app actions right from the notification.

Custom Notification View Restrictions

With Android 17 Beta 2, Google is expanding its SMS OTP protection by automatically delaying access to SMS messages with OTP for apps that aren’t the intended recipient or the default SMS handler app. This feature is designed to offer seamless task continuity, enabling users to pick up exactly where they left off in their workflow across their Android ecosystem. Android 16 QPR1 included code for a new system-level feature called “Task Continuity,” and, as you’d expect, it’s designed to let you seamlessly transfer an app’s current state from one Android device to another. Back in July 2025, we spotted Google working on a Handoff feature that would allow users to sync notifications, share files, and continue apps across their Android devices. Once consent is provided, this session-based access eliminates the need for repeated prompts for location-dependent features. With Android 17 Beta 3, Google is introducing a new location button that apps can use to request the user’s precise location for one session (i.e., until you close the app).

• With Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3, Google expanded the frosted-glass-like background blur to more parts of the UI, like the power menu, widget picker, and even app folders.
• On October 16, 2018, Google announced that it would change its distribution model for Google Mobile Services in the EU, since part of its revenues streams for Android which came through use of Google Search and Chrome were now prohibited by the EU’s ruling.
• To support these “Registered App Stores,” Google is working on core changes to the Android operating system.
• Android’s standard C library, Bionic, was developed by Google specifically for Android, as a derivation of the BSD’s standard C library code.
• With Android 17 Beta 3, users can now receive alerts when their phone’s clock performs a scheduled change.
• In Android 17 Beta 3, if you have a 2×1 Quick Settings tile, tapping the left side (on the Wi-Fi icon itself) toggles Wi-Fi on and off, while tapping the right side (outside the Wi-Fi icon, on the label) opens the pop-up.

Why doesn’t the Google Play Store work even after installing the APK?

Google is preparing to upgrade Android’s UWB stack with features from the FiRa 3.0 core specification. This button is slated to receive “special visual treatment,” possibly indicating a custom animation when it appears or is tapped. In Android 17 Beta 3, if you have a 2×1 Quick Settings tile, tapping the left side (on the Wi-Fi icon itself) toggles Wi-Fi on and off, while tapping the right side (outside the Wi-Fi icon, on the label) opens the pop-up. Previously, tapping the Wi-Fi Quick Settings tile would open a pop-up with options for nearby Wi-Fi networks, a toggle to enable or disable Wi-Fi, and other settings.
Depending on device, its long press may simulate a menu button press or engage split screen view, the latter of which is the default behaviour since stock Android version 7. The app list may be accessed using a gesture or a button, depending on the Android version. Beginning with Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean”, “expandable notifications” allow the user to tap an icon on the notification in order for it to expand and display more information and possible app actions right from the notification. Longtime users aren’t happy with the change, but these tips will help. Hot Summer A big June Android Drop is on the way to phones this week, and Google detailed safety features for kids, call protections for phones, and more. Stability fixes Google’s April Pixel update fixes app crashes, missing features, and gaming issues, making Android 16 more stable.

Android 17: Confirmed features and changes

Android’s default user interface is mainly based on direct manipulation, using touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching, and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects, along with a virtual keyboard. The platform is also focused on supporting developers with tools like ARCore and Unity to build applications for upcoming XR devices. It is a new operating system developed by Google, designed for virtual reality and augmented reality devices, such as VR headsets and smart glasses. Under such sanctions Huawei has long-term plans to replace Android in 2022 with the new operating system, as Harmony OS was originally designed for internet of things devices, rather than for smartphones and tablets.
Notifications are “short, timely, and relevant information about your app when it’s not in use”, and when tapped, users are directed to a screen inside the app relating to the notification. This status bar can be pulled (swiped) down to reveal a notification screen where apps display important information or updates, as well as quick access to system controls and toggles such as display brightness, connectivity settings (WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular data), audio mode, and flashlight. Most manufacturers customize the look and features of their Android devices to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The response to user input is designed to be immediate and provides a fluid touch interface, often using the vibration capabilities of the device to provide haptic feedback to the user.
Now, the Android OS will automatically enter your SIM card PIN when you enter your device’s lock code upon rebooting Then users can tap the use carrier default option (see the third screenshot above) to use their network’s default code. Once they’ve activated this toggle, they’ll be prompted to enter their SIM card’s current PIN. This process should work in reverse, provided Google implements a background clipboard listener on Android PCs.

Navigation buttons

Pichai himself would eventually switch positions, becoming the new CEO of Google in August 2015 following the company’s restructure into the Alphabet conglomerate, making Hiroshi Lockheimer the new head of Android. Since 2008, Android has seen numerous updates which have incrementally improved the operating system, adding new features and fixing bugs in previous releases. Speculation about Google’s intention to enter the mobile communications market continued to build through December 2006. Not much was known about the secretive Android Inc. at the time, with the company having provided few details other than that it was making software for mobile phones.

Shortly afterwards, Google acquired the company in July of spinalto casino that year for at least $50 million; this was Google’s “best deal ever” according to Google’s then-vice president of corporate development, David Lawee, in 2010. Android is an operating system owned by Google which is based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other free and open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen-based mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.