Android 17's release schedule is now out
What's the story
Google has announced an accelerated release schedule for Android 17, the next version of its mobile operating system. The company has replaced Developer Previews with a continuous Android Canary channel introduced last year. This new cycle will see an initial beta-quality release, called Beta 1, rolled out as an over-the-air update to developers and early adopters who enroll in the program.
Launch timeline
Stable launch of Android 17 expected in June
Despite the late start, Google is targeting a stable launch of Android 17 in June 2026. This will coincide with the next opt-out without a data wipe. The first beta was released in January, and while additional beta releases are expected, their exact timing is not confirmed but may occur in April and May. These updates are expected to align with Google's Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) cycle.
Milestone
Platform stability milestone to be reached in March
The next beta release, scheduled for March, will bring the Platform Stability milestone. This will include final SDK/NDK APIs and mostly final app-facing behaviors. Google's approach this year is less rigid about future betas, only indicating "Later Beta releases" on the graphic and "About" page. Google has confirmed that there will be a 26Q3 (presumably called "17 QPR1") release and a bigger 26Q4 ("17 QPR2") update. The final update in this cycle will be the 27Q1 ("17 QPR3").