Android 17 has a floating bubble bar at the bottom of the screen where recent apps now sit. Google made that the headline of the final release, which it put out on a Tuesday in mid-June 2026 together with Wear OS 7 for smartwatches.
Pixel phones get it first, along with a Pixel Drop of new AI tools. Google said wider availability will follow in the coming weeks. The update runs on the Pixel 8a, 9a and newer models.
The bubble bar and other changes
Users can move, group and tap the bubbles to jump between apps. The idea is to speed things up for people who keep several apps open at once.
A new screen recording mode records the selfie camera and the screen together, which makes reaction videos possible without extra software. Foldables get a gaming mode with a 50/50 split layout and an on-screen dynamic gamepad.
On security, Find Hub adds a Mark as Lost feature, and the system gains live threat detection. Parents can set screen time limits and content filtering behind a PIN, and no linked Google account is needed.
Gemini in the Pixel Drop
Gemini Omni can now edit video from a conversation: the user describes the change and the edit is made. Lyria 3, Google’s music generation model, makes original tracks from text prompts or images inside the Gemini app. On the Pixel 10a, AudioLM powers improved speech-to-speech translation.
The Pixel Drop also brings Quick Share compatibility with Apple AirDrop to the Pixel 8a and 9a.
Wear OS 7
The Pixel Watch picks up automatic crash, fall and pulse detection. If it senses a serious incident, it can call emergency services and alert chosen contacts. Live updates from phone apps now appear on the watch, and Google said integration with its upcoming AI glasses and headphones improves.
More Gemini Intelligence features reach Wear OS later this summer. They include widgets built from a plain-language description and “Personal Intelligence,” which links Google apps and chat history with Gemini. Google claims battery life gains of up to 10%, and multi-step automation tools are also due.
Apple is expected to answer in September with AI upgrades to Siri and iOS 27.
