A few weeks back, Google rolled out the first Android 17 beta update. Now, it is back with Android 17 Beta 2, with the new release focusing primarily on bug fixes and refining the overall Pixel UI for a seamless experience.
Android 17 Beta 2 brings back Pixel Launcher Search Bar
One of the biggest changes in Android 17 Beta 2 is the return of the older and classic Pixel Launcher Search bar. With the beta 1 update, Google removed the themed colour ring that surrounds the search bar and made it more Gemini-esque. Now, with beta 2, the wallpaper colour picker gradient is back, and the AI Mode search icon sits inside a separate circle.
Another noticeable change with the second beta is in the segregation of 'Passwords & passkeys' and 'Accounts and backup' menus. Previously, both these options were combined under a unified 'Passwords, passkeys & accounts' header.
Also, with Android 17 Beta 2, Google has changed how app bubbles behave. They are now a new windowing mode, segregated from the existing chat bubbles on Android. App Bubbles are focused on better multitasking and can open in a floating UI of their own. It is especially handy in large-screen or foldables, where a user can have a split-screen view as well as a floating app bubble.
Moving on, with the second Android 17 beta, Google has also redesigned the privacy indicators and has added a Quick Settings tile for Satellite connectivity. Instead of a unified pill-shaped indicator, both the microphone and camera icons now sit inside their own circular indicator. Aside from that, Android 17 Beta 2 also brings temporary access to the system-level contacts picker and a new system-level EyeDropper API.
Lastly, as previously mentioned, Android 17 Beta 2 has also resolved several existing bugs with Pixel phones. Here is a list of all the bugs that have been fixed with this new beta update:
- Fixed platform stability regression in Android 16 that caused active apps to unexpectedly restart or refresh
- Fixed UI layout regression in the Recent Apps screen for users with German-language settings
- Improved video streaming reliability by enabling developers to confirm temporal layering support
- Fixed bug which omitted the leading zero in 24-hour format during low-light mode in Clock screensaver
- Fixed critical system instability causing device freezes and reboots
- Fixed issue where closing a folder blocked immediate subsequent interactions
- Fixed System UI deadlock that caused lock screen unresponsiveness
- Fixed issue where Live Translate and Rules were incorrectly categorized in System menu
- Fixed UI layout issue in the Wireless Debugging QR scanner
- Fixed bug that caused redundant notifications to appear following a system update
- Fixed GPU shader compiler optimisation bug on Pixel 6 Pro that caused specific GLSL mathematical expressions to evaluate incorrectly as constants
Android 17 Beta 2 Compatible Devices
The latest Android 17 Beta 2 update is rolling out over the air to these supported Google Pixel devices:
