Google is speeding up Android 17 development using continuous Canary builds, aiming for a stable June 2026 release with quarterly updates. Learn about the new schedule and milestones.
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Google is accelerating the Android 17 release cycle and overhauling its traditional development approach. Instead of separate Developer Preview versions, the company is now leveraging the continuous Android Canary channel introduced last year. While previous cycles saw initial preview builds in November and December, with beta arriving in January, the transition to Beta is now happening faster with a revised schedule.
Despite the later start, the stable release of Android 17 remains on track for June 2026. This is when users can exit the beta program without needing a full device reset. By March, the Platform Stability milestone is expected to be reached—a critical juncture where SDK and NDK APIs are finalized, and system behavior for apps becomes nearly definitive.
Interestingly, Google has become less specific about the number of intermediate beta versions. Official materials mention only "later beta releases" without stating an exact update count. Nevertheless, additional builds are anticipated in April and May, keeping the updated timeline on course. Looking ahead, Android 17 will follow a quarterly model: the second half of 2026 is slated for releases 17 QPR1 and 17 QPR2, with 17 QPR3 planned for early 2027. The company increasingly favors the year-quarter naming scheme, viewing it as clearer than the traditional QPR labels.