Google rolls out Android 17 beta 2 update: What's new and eligible devices

Google has released Android 17 beta 2 for eligible Pixel devices, introducing UI tweaks, a limited-access contacts picker, EyeDropper API and multiple stability fixes

Google released the Android 17 beta 2 update on February 26, just two weeks after releasing the Android 17 beta 1 update. The new update brings a range of changes to the user interface of eligible Pixel devices. Some of the updates include a limited-access contacts picker, EyeDropper API, bubbles and more. Here’s an overview of what’s new in the Android 17 beta 2 update:

Android 17 beta 2 update: What’s new

• Bubbles: Users can now bubble any app by long-pressing launcher icons. On large screens, a new bubble bar in the taskbar manages organised and anchored bubbles. For the uninitiated, Bubbles is a windowing mode separate from messaging (chat) bubbles.
• EyeDropper API: A new system API allows apps to capture pixel colours from anywhere on the display without requiring screen capture permissions.
• Contacts picker: The new system-level contacts picker provides temporary, session-based read access limited to only the specific data fields a user chooses to share. It also allows selection between personal and work profiles, reducing the need for apps to request full “Read Contacts” permissions.
• Touchpad Pointer Capture: By default, captured touchpads now behave like mice, reporting relative movement and gestures instead of raw finger coordinates. Legacy absolute mode remains available.
• The combined “Accounts and backup” menu replaces “Back up or copy data” and “Passwords, passkeys & accounts.”
• Redesigned privacy indicators: Earlier, when an app used your phone’s camera and location, both icons appeared at the top right corner of the screen in a pill-shaped green enclosure. However, with the beta 2 update, they will be shown in two separate enclosures, with the location icon shown in blue instead of green.

Android 17 beta 2 update: Fixes rolled out

Apart from the aforementioned, the update also introduces fixes for:

• Platform stability regression in Android 16 that led active apps to restart or refresh unexpectedly, resulting in lost user progress and occasional UI flickering during use.
• Improved video streaming reliability by allowing developers to verify temporal layering support after encoder configuration to resolve missing frame dependency metadata.
• Bug where the Clock screensaver left out the leading zero in 24-hour format under low-light mode.
• An issue where closing a folder prevented immediate follow-up actions such as opening another folder or switching screens.
• System crash and unexpected reboot issue that disrupted device usage.
• Critical system instability leading to device freezes and reboots during app transitions or service calls.
• System UI deadlock that made the lock screen unresponsive and caused display freezes after disconnecting from Android Auto.
• UI typo in the system location permission disclosure dialog where the Back button appeared as “Bac.”
• An issue where Live Translate and Rules were mistakenly grouped under the System menu.
• A critical System UI crash and resulting device instability triggered by repeatedly navigating into Display and Touch settings.
• A recurring crash that stopped users from accessing Wallpaper & Style settings from the home screen.
• A UI layout problem in the Wireless Debugging QR scanner where the back arrow overlapped the QR icon.
• An issue in the Sound settings where ringtone previews did not play when selected.
• A bug that generated duplicate notifications after a system update, resolved by refining the notification service logic to properly clear stale alerts during post-update initialisation.
• A GPU shader compiler optimisation issue on Pixel 6 Pro that caused certain GLSL mathematical expressions to be incorrectly treated as constants, leading to visual rendering artefacts in apps.

Android 17 beta 2 update: Eligible devices

• Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a
• Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a
• Pixel Tablet
• Pixel Fold
• Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a
• Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 9a
• Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold

Android 17 beta 2 update: How to install

According to a report by 9To5Google, to enrol in the Android 17 beta programme, head to Google’s Android beta page and select “Opt in” for your device. Any eligible Pixel device signed in with the same Google account will appear on the page and can be registered.

 

After opting in, check for updates on the device to download and install the beta build. The update typically arrives within minutes, though it may sometimes take longer. Users can also opt out of future beta updates from the same page.

 

Once enrolled, navigate to Settings > System > Software Updates > System Updates and tap install. Alternatively, the update can be sideloaded manually.