The most important new features in Google’s Android 17 operating system — and Gemini Intelligence — will be available this summer

“Our goal is to be able to make it as customizable as possible, pulling from all the types of data sources you require so we can create a custom widget for you,” Brooks says. Maybe that means creating a weather widget that displays Celsius and Fahrenheit when you travel abroad. Or countdown to your next marathon. Or a tool that displays three new protein-rich meal prep recipes each week.

What does this mean for the future of the home screen? Will we still have application networks? Or will each person’s phone have its own look and feel, powered by natural language? Android has always been good at customization, so we should expect more control over how our phones look and function, Brooks says. “I think you’ll see a lot of that in the future about how we can continue to do that in a fun way, to make your device truly yours.”

Loitering

The voice dictation feature on Google’s Gboard keyboard is getting a Gemini upgrade. A new feature called Rambler converts audio into text; Gemini will understand when you say “um,” “ah,” and “like,” and will remove those verbal fillers from the text you dictate. If someone interrupts you while you’re dictating words and you respond, Gemini will cut out that part of your transcription so you don’t have to delete a bunch of words and start over.

The point is that you are able to speak naturally, and the end result will be a shortened version of what you want to say, minus the filler words we use in natural speech. This means that Gemini does some editing to massage your sentences by guessing what he thinks you want to say. It works in multiple languages ​​and is also multilingual, so if you frequently mix English and Spanish, it will switch between them in one message. Google says the audio is not stored or saved.

Screen feedback

Moving on from AI-focused improvements, Android 17 will debut an easy way to create interactive video. You know those videos on social media where the person in the corner and a web page or app is talking about what they’re interacting with in the background? Now you can record yourself and your screen simultaneously without dealing with third-party apps or a green screen. This feature will be rolling out to Pixel devices first this summer.

Instagram upgrades and modifications

There is a big collaboration with Meta in Android 17 to improve the Instagram camera experience. This includes adding Ultra HDR support for capture and playback, support for built-in video stabilization, and integration with your phone’s camera’s night mode. Instead of using your phone’s camera and then adding those photos or videos to post to Instagram, the idea is that with these improvements, you can now rely on the native Instagram camera experience without losing image quality.

Another Meta partnership, Android 17 is getting some exclusive tools Instagram editing appsuch as Smart Enhance, which uses on-device AI to enhance photos and videos. Audio separation will also separate audio tracks from wind, noise, and music, and lets you boost vocals and cut out things you don’t want to hear.