Google officially launches Android 17

Android 17, Google's latest model of mobile operating system, is officially available — at least for owners of Pixel phones.

Google also released a new Pixel Drop and the latest operating system for its smartwatches, Wear OS 7. There's a lot of new features, so let's dive into what's coming to your devices.

Android 17

Android 17 is now available for Pixel phones. The operating system will roll out to other Android devices through the rest of the year.

Here are the three main new features available in Android 17.

• Bubbles: Users can open any mobile app as a pop-up "bubble" rather than in full screen mode — meaning you can manage multiple apps more easily. There's also a new Bubble bar interface at the bottom of the screen that will keep your recent bubbles organized and accessible.

• Screen Reactions: Dual webcam and screen recording is really popular on desktops and laptops these days, especially for walkthroughs and tutorials. Google is bringing that experience to Android devices, allowing users to record via their selfie camera and capture their phone screen at the same time. 

• Foldable gaming mode: Have a foldable Android device? This mode lets you turn one half of the foldable screen into a digital gamepad, while playing a game on the other half.

Android 17 also brings new security and parental control capabilities. The new operating system has more location-sharing controls, Live Threat Detection, Advanced Protection improvements, and a "Mark as lost" feature in Find Hub.

Parents can also set screen time limits, and filter out content, without needing to link a Google Account first.

June Pixel Drop

The latest Pixel drop for Google's Pixel phones is also out — and this one is chock full of AI features.

• Gemini Omni: Users can edit their videos by just chatting with the AI chatbot. Remix images and videos, or just start from scratch with nothing but a text prompt. You can also create a custom AI avatar that looks and sounds like you — then insert it into any scene.  

• Lyria 3 in Gemini: Google is also bringing its latest music generation model, Lyria 3, to Pixel phones. Users can choose the style, the tempo, or even upload an image to inspire a song.

Google is also bringing minor upgrades to certain PIxel models. This latest Pixel Drop brings Google's speech-to-voice translation with AudioLM feature to Pixel 10am devices. Android Quick Share, which provides AirDrop capabilities with iPhones, is now available on Pixel 9a and Pixel 8a devices.

Take a Message has also now rolled out to all compatible Pixel devices in the U.S. The feature provides Custom Greetings, which lets users record a personalized outgoing message — and gives voicemail transcriptions when you miss a call.

And, of course, Pixel phones get all the new features that come along with the new Android 17.

Wear OS 7

Own an Android smartwatch? Here's what's new on your device.

• Android Live Updates: Smartwatch users can now view Android Live Updates directly from their wrist. This feature can be used to track sports scores, food delivery arrival times, workouts, and more. 

• Control other devices: Users can now control other Android devices from their wrist. Wear OS 7 lets you access what's playing on your headphones or home speakers. Users can view photos snapped with their smartglasses instantly on their smartwatch.

• Emergency Sharing: If your Pixel Watch detects a fall, a car accident, or a loss of pulse, your Pixel device will now immediately contact emergency services and notify a user's emergency contacts.