Following four betas, Google is ready to launch Android 17 for Pixel devices. There are a handful of big additions and changes, while today’s release coincides with the June 2026 Pixel (Feature) Drop.
Like last year, this update is arriving before the historic fall window as part of Google’s new release cadence. The biggest user-facing addition in Android 17 is the ability to Bubble any application. A similar capability was previously reserved for message conversations. Long-press any app on your homescreen and tap the new button in the top-left corner to get a chat head-style icon that you can move around and drag down to close. A Bubble Bar in the bottom-right corner is available for large screen devices.
Handy for travel, entertainment and work, Bubbles lets you easily reference notes or maps, watch tutorials and even check sports. It keeps everything you need in reach but out of the way.
A small but nice addition in Wallpaper & style > Icons > Names is “Show app names” to hide labels on your homescreen.
Android 17 implements app memory limits “to ensure apps never use too much RAM” for improved device performance and to help preserve battery.
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The screen recorder accessed from Quick Settings has been redesigned with a floating pill interface. Your available options are unchanged from before. After the recording has started, you can tap the status bar indicator to bring back the pill and make changes — tap the settings gear — or “Stop.” Screen Reactions give you a green screen to add a selfie video to the capture.
Afterwards, you’re taken to a new fullscreen page that lets you preview the clip, Edit, Delete, or Share.
In Quick Settings, the Camera, Location, and Microphone access indicators in the top-right corner have been redesigned. The pill is narrower and makes use of circular containers to better distinguish what’s active.
On the topic of Location, Android 17 has a number of changes. The runtime Location permission now adds explicit checkboxes when picking between “Precise” and “Approximate.” Google is also adding a new one-time precise location button for apps, while there’s an improved algorithm for approximate location.
Additionally, you can share specific contacts with apps “instead of your entire address book.”
The bigger QS change is split Wi-Fi and Mobile data toggles. After updating, the previous Internet Tile becomes Wi-Fi and you can add Mobile data. On supported devices, there’s also a new “Satellite” Tile that takes you to “Satellite connectivity” settings.
When you “Mark as lost,” Find Hub now lets you require biometrics, “so even if a thief has your passcode, they can’t access information on your phone or turn off tracking.”
The “No notifications” message in the shade has been replaced by “You’re all caught up” and a trophy icon that comes from the Pixel Watch.
In terms of visual changes, Widget panes now feature a blurred background just like Quick Settings and the Notification shade. There are various icon tweaks, but nothing drastic following the Material 3 Expressive redesign last year. You’ll also notice a close ‘x’ in fingerprint sheets.
There are several notable changes in the Settings app:
“Accounts and backup” is a new combined menu that simplifies “Password & passkeys.”
Once you dig down, individual preferences are now housed in shorter cards that remove top/bottom padding for more compact lists.
In Sound & vibration, you’ll find a new slider for “Assistant volume.”
Under Display & touch > Dark theme, you can now control which apps use the Expanded dark theme.
There’s a new Easter egg for the first time in three generations. Go to Settings > About phone > Android version and tap the “17” repeatedly to connect all the dots.
Android 17 Pixel launch
Android 17 is launching and rolling out starting today for the 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, and Pixel 10a.
Visit Settings > System > System update and click the “Check for update” button if the OTA hasn’t already appeared on your device. Android 17 Beta 4.1 users will get a small update to this final release.

Following a first look at Google I/O last month, XREAL has today confirmed that its Android XR glasses, Aura, will be launching this Fall with reservations open today, and a list of confirmed apps and games too.
XREAL Aura is set to launch as a mixed form factor powered by Android XR. They look and feel like glasses, but operate closer to that of a dedicated headset like Samsung’s Galaxy XR, while still having optical passthrough to the outside world that’s through glass, not camera feeds. At Google I/O last month, hands-on demos showed how the device works with an included puck that serves as the brains and battery.
XREAL’s Android XR glasses will launch before the end of 2026, early access for devs
XREAL’s Android XR glasses one-up Apple’s wired battery with a controller, more [Video]
Today, XREAL is confirming out of AWE (Augmented World Expo) that Aura is set to officially launch “this Fall” in the US – including in Best Buy Stores – the UK, Canada, South Korea, and Japan. European markets will be coming “soon after,” the company says.
You can also now “pre-order” the glasses with a $99 registration deposit. This buys you a $199 credit for the final product, a $100 discount when it actually launches. There’s no specific release date or final price at this point, though. A $299 registration deposit is also available for the first 2,000 customers, with numbered hardware and a guarantee of launch-day delivery.
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Registration is live now on XREAL’s website.
XREAL’s Android XR glasses will cost under $1,500, which isn’t as expensive as it sounds
On top of that, XREAL is also confirming some of the apps and games that will be available for Aura, and Android XR as a whole, and are in developement now. Some of the biggest names here include Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars and Fallout: Factions. The former is a “pivotal, untold moment in the Hail Mary mission” that was created with author Andy Weir specifically for the game.
Fallout: Factions, meanwhile, is an XR adaptation of a hit board game.
Here’s the full list of in-development titles coming to XREAL Aura and Android XR:
Announced today, Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars, will launch on XREAL AURA, powered by Android XR, Google’s groundbreaking spatial computing platform. Developed in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios and featuring a new, original chapter created in collaboration with Andy Weir specifically for the game, Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars allows players to step into the role of Ryland Grace at a pivotal, untold moment in the Hail Mary mission, diagnosing failing ship systems and improvising ingenious scientific solutions as the spacecraft itself bleeds into their real-world environment. Precise hand tracking enables intuitive, tactile interaction with ship panels and zero-gravity objects, while the Hail Mary spacecraft merges seamlessly with the player’s physical surroundings. The result is a new form of spatial storytelling that leverages Android XR, cutting edge XR hardware starting with XREAL AURA, and mixed reality to bring the world of Project Hail Mary directly into the player’s space.
Announced today, Fallout: Factions is the official digital adaptation of the hit tabletop game from Modiphius Entertainment for XR. This turn-based skirmish warfare game set in the Fallout universe combines squad-level tactics and strategy with immersive 3D maps and gesture controls in stunning augmented reality. Compete with friends around the table or around the world as you play as one of three Factions seeking to dominate the devastated landscape of Nuka-World. Each Faction has a unique set of weapons and abilities, creating nearly endless replay-ability. War never changes, but now it’s in your hands! Fallout: Factions launches from Mirrorscape later this year on XREAL AURA and Android XR.
Announced today, “The Nutcracker: A Spatial Awakening” is a pioneering full-scale spatial preservation of a legacy ballet, developed by San Francisco Ballet and YBVR in partnership with Google and XREAL. Captured in stereoscopic 8K with a Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive three-camera array, the experience places audiences closer than ever to the artistry and emotion of this iconic holiday production. Bringing the breathtaking “Snowfall” sequence directly into the user’s surroundings, the experience showcases how cutting-edge hardware can unlock a profound sense of presence for world-class performing arts, accompanied by the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. Expect more to come with the official premiere later this year.
Asteroid, a groundbreaking immersive film from acclaimed director Doug Liman, will combine cinematic storytelling, interactive gameplay, live conversational AI, and natural multimodal interaction powered by Gemini. The experience launched exclusively on Android XR and will be free for all XREAL AURA owners. The project is developed by 30 Ninjas.
EMMY and BAFTA award-winning Atlantic Studios is bringing ambitious immersive films to Android XR and XREAL AURA. Atlantic is bringing Hollywood elites to its projects, with more to be revealed soon.
Resolution Games brings its painstakingly crafted turn-based co-op tabletop dungeon crawler, Demeo to XREAL AURA. Demeo is designed from the ground up for XR, and players on AURA can join others on Samsung Galaxy XR, Meta Quest, Apple Vision Pro, PICO and PlayStation VR2, as well as enjoy cross-play with flatscreen players (Steam PC, Mac, iOS, PlayStation 5).
The Fox Sports XR app on XREAL AURA will feature immersive live sports and highlights.
Cubism is one of the most respected puzzle games in XR built around an engaging concept: fit a set of colorful 3D blocks into a target shape, but this time set in your real world thanks to XREAL AURA’s optical see-through headset. Cubism is renowned for its excellent handtracking and strong spatial interaction design.
One of the world’s largest XR video game developers, nDreams, is bringing Oh My Galaxy! to XREAL AURA. Oh My Galaxy! is a beautifully crafted arcade-style physics puzzle game designed from the ground up for spatial computing. XREAL AURA marks the first time the popular game will be available on an OST headset.
Odders is bringing its premier tabletop strategy game, Chess Club to XREAL AURA. Chess Club is the leading chess application across major spatial computing platforms today; its standout feature is its precise native hand-tracking. XREAL AURA marks the first time Chess Club will be available on an OST headset.
South Korean streaming powerhouse, Naver is bringing CHZZK to XREAL AURA. CHZZK is Naver’s massive livestreaming and content creator platform heavily centered around gaming, esports, virtual streamers, music videos and watch parties. CHZZK includes spatialized 180- and 360-degree videos that bring VR entertainment to XREAL AURA without isolating the viewer from the real world around them.
DB Creations is actively developing three XR games for XREAL AURA. Disassemble, mend, and rebuild a variety of gadgets and robot parts while learning about the fantastical world around you in Robo Repair. Fly a jet, pilot a helicopter, and more to complete arcade challenges right in your room with the exciting RC-inspired action of Tiny Motors Arcade. Transform your space into a thriving solarpunk city of the future with easy to connect building block elements in Table Towers.
Announced today, representing next generation geospatial immersion, the Rathausverein of Aachen, Germany, and ZAUBAR are creating a first-of-its-kind location-based AR experience in Aachen’s historic city center. Set around the Krönungssaal (Coronation Hall) in Aachen City Hall and connected to the city’s imperial heritage, including Aachen Cathedral as part of the former Carolingian palace complex and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the experience brings history to life through an immersive museum-quality exhibition with realistic time travel, lifelike animations, historically accurate reconstructions, and incredible detail, all comfortably enjoyed through XREAL AURA. This exciting project is targeting an on-site launch in mid-2027.
Announced today, in healthcare, apoQlar is bringing their XR software platform to XREAL AURA that transforms CT, MRI, PET, and other medical imaging data into interactive 3D holographic models that clinicians can view and manipulate in real time. The early apoQlar workflows with XREAL AURA are showing real promise and are already making advanced medical visualization and training more intuitive for clinicians.
Simply Piano XR comes to an OST headset for the first time with XREAL AURA, bringing its finetuned hand tracking and spatial computing to merge physical instruments with digital overlays along with AI-powered real-time feedback for the ultimate XR piano-learning platform.
In enterprise, ShapesXR is moving design work into XREAL AURA’s immersive 70-degree FOV, allowing teams to sketch environments, place UI, storyboard interactions, and test concepts before writing much code. ShapesXR is leading in collaborative spatial creation and for the first time, bringing its highly recognized platform to XR glasses.
Frontline.io turns complex CAD models into interactive digital twins for the enterprise space, letting technicians learn, troubleshoot, and collaborate through XREAL AURA with OST workflows. It’s reshaping remote assist, virtual training, and augmented work instructions — and going further with AI agents that generate, retrieve, and guide maintenance procedures in real time, all hands-free without taking workers’ eyes off the task, making the smart connected worker a reality.
The Plynk Spatial™ app turns stock research, portfolio management, and trading into a spatial experience coming for the first time to OST XR glasses with XREAL AURA. Instead of viewing markets through flat charts on a phone or laptop, through XREAL AURA, Plynk Spatial™ users can explore 3D market visualizations, interact with spatial heatmaps, view sector performance in layouts, analyze portfolio holdings in 3D space, track market movers, and execute trades directly inside AURA, all while not losing sight of their real world surroundings.
More on Android XR:
Android XR glasses audio won’t be audible to others, and Google’s demo showed us exactly why
These are the first Android XR audio glasses, coming this fall with iPhone support
Android XR brings app pinning, resume, & auto-spatialization to Galaxy XR

After three San Francisco Giants pitchers appeared in Friday’s game with Bible verses written on their Pride Night caps, Major League Baseball issued a warning that similar behavior will not be tolerated. But in an expanded statement on the matter, the league emphasized Tuesday it wasn’t policing the specifics of what the players wrote.
“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” the league said. “We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s uniform regulations which provides in part that, ‘(a) player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment…’
“We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad,’ ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom’ and names of family members.”
Giants right-hander Landen Roupp started the game with “Gen 9:12-16” written on his cap, with the end of the verse bleeding into the rainbow “SF” logo. Relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also had Bible verses on their caps, while Sam Hentges came out of the bullpen with the Giants’ standard black cap with an orange logo rather than the Pride Night hat.
“It’s just about God’s covenant and a promise that he makes to us that, you know, his faithfulness and his mercy,” Roupp told reporters when asked about the Bible passage. “That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that, and I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want.”
Giants manager Tony Vitello was asked after Friday’s 6-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs whether anything was discussed with the pitchers before the game.
“Not really. I mean, just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals have the freedom to do what they think is best,” Vitello said. “But I do think it’s been apparent from day one, actually, even some of the exhibition games, it’s pretty impressive how the Giants, as an organization, try and embrace the entire community. … We don’t want to be divided, but you can divide it up into certain sections, if you know what I mean. And there’s a pretty good trade-off. I mean, obviously, the success hasn’t been what I want it to be, but even I feel it. The way they give back and embrace the team is different. … The crowds are bigger in numbers. There’s a unique vibe to each night when there is a community recognized. So the back and forth there is good, and as always, even if our record was 20 games better than it was, you always want to give back more.”
The Giants were the first professional sports team to host a game that raised awareness and money for the HIV/AIDS epidemic with “Until There’s a Cure Day” in 1994. And in 2021, they became the first team to incorporate the rainbow colorway on their on-field caps for their annual Pride game.

With quarterback Brendan Sorsby intending to apply for the NFL’s supplemental draft, some are watching and waiting to see whether the NFL will welcome him to the ranks of professional football.
Two key questions have arisen, from the NFL’s perspective. First, will the league accept Sorsby into the supplemental draft? Second, will Commissioner Roger Goodell impose a suspension on Sorsby for underage (and thus illegal) gambling and/or for betting on Indiana games while he was on the Indiana roster (but not playing)?
The Terrelle Pryor precedent has caused some in league circles to believe the league will try to simulate the NCAA’s punishment — basically, no football at all in 2026. In 2011, the league placed a five-game suspension on former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, mirroring the suspension that was imposed on Pryor by the NCAA.
Then there’s the case of Kayshon Boutte. Earlier this year, he wrote an article for the Players’ Tribune regarding his gambling addiction while in college.
“I’d wake up early in the morning, and the first thing I’d do was bet,” Boutte wrote. “I’d stay up late and bet. All day. All night. I had insomnia, so if I woke up in the middle of the night, phone next to the bed, I’d bet. Any little money I had, it was going straight to FanDuel. . . . I knew I was addicted.”
Boutte said he started gambling after suffering an injury at LSU that left him unable to play. Betting was his way of replacing the sense of competition.
He made more than 8,900 bets, with at least six bets placed on LSU. The wagering continued until at least one week after Boutte was drafted in 2023. (Boutte didn’t turn 21 until May 7, 2023.)
None of that came to light until after Boutte’s rookie season with the Patriots, when he was charged with underage betting in Louisiana. The charges were later dismissed. Most importantly, the NFL took no action against Boutte.
Of course, Boutte had completed a full season in the NFL by the time the story broke of his underage betting habits. If the league had suspended him then, the league would have been drawing more attention to the fact that Boutte’s behavior had slipped through the cracks at a time when the NFL could have, in theory, known about his betting issues.
With Sorsby, the issue has come to light before his NFL career begins. Based on the fact that the NFL did nothing to Boutte, the timing of the disclosure shouldn’t matter.
That may not stop the league from doing whatever it believes it has to do, given the intense focus on the Sorsby situation — and given that multiple gambling scandals have emerged in other sports since Boutte’s arrest in January 2024.

Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby plans to apply to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, ending the drama over whether he would be eligible to play for the Red Raiders this year despite violating NCAA gambling rules.
Monday night’s news came one week after the college sports world was roiled by the ruling of a Lubbock County judge, who barred the NCAA from preventing Sorsby from playing despite having admitted to thousands of gambling violations, including betting on his own team when he was at Indiana.
But it also came at the end of a day in which the NCAA and the Big 12 each had court filings in separate lawsuits involving Sorsby’s case. The debate over his eligibility involved the attorneys general of several states and the presidents of the Big 12 universities, and it raised questions about the NCAA’s legitimacy if the organization could not enforce its own rules.
In a letter to fans, Texas Tech Board of Regents Chair and megadonor Cody Campbell said Texas Tech would continue to provide support and recovery resources for Sorsby. It also won’t seek repayment of any amounts already paid to the quarterback through school NIL agreements. Sources familiar with Sorsby’s contract said the quarterback had already earned about $1 million through deals with Texas Tech and third-party outlets.
“This decision was made with Brendan and his family, and is purely an output of practical analysis of the situation,” Campbell wrote. “Brendan and Texas Tech stand on very solid and legitimate legal ground, but he faces a June 22nd deadline to be eligible to enter the NFL’s supplemental draft, and there is no practical way to resolve all the various pending legal disputes and ensure his eligibility prior to this date. This is the only viable and fair path for Brendan and his future, as well as for his teammates, and our university.
“Brendan, while he made many mistakes that he openly admits, has also been part of a much larger broken and predatory system, and we believe that all people deserve a second chance. It is gut-wrenching that there is no viable path to providing him with redemption at the collegiate level.”
Texas Tech president Lawrence Schovanec and athletics director Kirby Hocutt also released a statement in which they said, “When Brendan’s lawsuit resulted in the granting of a temporary injunction, we found ourselves in a difficult situation. With his health and wellness as our top priority, we supported him in spite of very different perspectives and opinions. Our position was challenged by many but our support for him never changed. We will continue to extend all available resources that Brendan had as a student and athlete to ensure his transition is as successful as possible.”
In an Instagram post, Sorsby thanked his family, his coaches and teammates at Texas Tech and “so many others who have encouraged me to address and learn more about this important issue. As my journey continues, I remain fully committed to and focused on being the best I can be, both on and off the field.”
One of the most sought-after quarterbacks in last winter’s transfer portal out of Cincinnati, Sorsby chose Texas Tech, a program that won last year’s Big 12 championship but failed to score against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. With a financial package worth more than $4 million, Sorsby was supposed to take the Red Raiders over the top.
But he announced in April that he would enter a treatment facility for a gambling addiction, which came after the NCAA notified Texas Tech of an investigation into his gambling. In subsequent legal filings, the NCAA learned of Sorsby’s gambling through law enforcement.
By his own admission, Sorsby has wagered at least $90,000 on more than 9,000 bets over the course of his college career, with stops at Indiana and Cincinnati before Texas Tech. That included betting on Indiana football as a team member, though not in games he played in, as well as Indiana and Cincinnati men’s basketball games, also against NCAA rules. Sorsby also transferred money to others to gamble under proxy sports betting accounts, including since he transferred to Texas Tech in January. (Mobile sports betting is illegal in Texas.)
He was deemed permanently ineligible by the NCAA, which also denied his appeal in late May. Sorsby filed a lawsuit against the NCAA last month, claiming the organization was not looking out for his best interest and welfare by banning him. The judge in Lubbock County sided with Sorsby last Monday, granting an injunction through the college football season, as well as a self-recommended two-game suspension for the quarterback.
That ruling sparked backlash across the country. Nebraska and Georgia told their coaches not to schedule Texas Tech in any sport. The Big Ten considered a league-wide ban but opted against it. Big 12 administrators seethed and considered a slew of potential conference sanctions.
Texas Tech school leaders said they were focused on Sorsby’s recovery and had put monitoring in place to make sure he didn’t place any more bets. They didn’t explicitly say they planned to play him, but Campbell said that Texas Tech owed it to Sorsby to play him if he was eligible.
Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to the Big 12, warning the league against levying sanctions against Texas Tech. (Under state law, the Texas attorney general would represent Texas Tech in court.)
That letter was part of the Big 12’s federal filing on Monday, claiming the conference had a First Amendment right to enact its own bylaws, and that a supermajority of schools could vote to sanction Texas Tech if Sorsby played. Attorneys general from Oklahoma, Kansas and Utah wrote letters in support of the Big 12.
“It’s been a challenging week for both our conference and the college athletics landscape,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said. “The Big 12 looks forward to moving ahead as 16 strong. We wish Brendan Sorsby success in his future endeavors.”
Sorsby’s plan to enter the supplemental draft ends the drama. His attorney Jeffrey Kessler told The Athletic they plan to withdraw their state lawsuit on Tuesday, which would make Sorsby ineligible to play college football and therefore eligible for the NFL Supplemental Draft.
The supplemental draft is typically meant for college players who lose eligibility late in the process. The first one was held in 1977. Prospects have to apply with and be approved by the NFL league office for eligibility in the supplemental draft. The league hosts the supplemental draft only when there are eligible players, which hasn’t happened since 2023. There were two eligible prospects that year, though neither was selected. A player hasn’t been selected in the supplemental draft since 2019 — the longest drought in its history — when the Arizona Cardinals selected defensive back Jalen Thompson.
The deadline to apply is June 22. An NFL spokesperson declined to comment on Sorsby’s situation.
What’s next for Texas Tech at QB?
Without Sorsby, Texas Tech will move forward with Will Hammond as its starting quarterback. Hammond has been recovering from an ACL injury suffered last October, but head coach Joey McGuire said last month he expects him to be ready early in the season.
Hammond has participated in seven-on-seven throwing. He should be fully cleared to play in late August, but it might take more time for him to get game-ready. Hammond threw for 680 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in eight games last season as a redshirt freshman in relief of injured Behren Morton. Hammond helped lead Texas Tech to a win at Utah but also started the team’s lone regular-season loss, at Arizona State. Behind Hammond is Tulsa transfer Kirk Francis.
“He’s in a good spot,” McGuire said of Hammond. “We’re fortunate to have Will Hammond. He’s one of the most competitive, most dedicated guys. His team loves him. If you watch when he came in against Utah, just to see how the offensive line reacted whenever he entered that game. He’ll be ready to go, (but) I do not see pushing him in Week 1 to be ready to go.”
What are Sorsby’s pro prospects?
Based on talent (and under normal circumstances), the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Sorsby likely would have been viewed as a potential first-rounder in the 2026 draft. With or without the off-field issues, however, it wouldn’t have been a guarantee — the skilled big man (who plays a lot like Giants QB Jaxson Dart) had back-to-back productive years at Cincinnati but was not tested against the type of competition he’d have seen this season at Texas Tech. Oh, and there’s nothing normal about these circumstances.
Sorsby will probably be worth a pick for one of the many QB-needy teams who might be interested in coughing up a future selection. The question is: How early a pick will a GM be inclined to risk? The last quarterback taken in the supplemental draft was Terrelle Pryor in 2011 (a third-round pick by the then-Oakland Raiders). No team has given up a first-rounder in the supplemental draft since the Giants took QB Dave Brown in 1992.