Google is working on Android 17, and the latest beta version of the operating system just brought me much joy, fixing a long-standing bugbear I have with Pixel phones.
Beta 3 of Android 17 is here, and you can try it out on a compatible Pixel phone if you opt into the Android Beta Program. I’ve done that on a Pixel 9 Pro, and one change is particularly welcome (and surprising).
Google has finally decided to split the Wi-Fi and mobile data options back to separate quick setting tiles – and I’m so relieved.
Chris Martin / Foundry
This has been annoying me since Google made the change back in Android 12 in 2021, when the pair were bundled into a single ‘Internet’ quick setting, meaning additional taps just to toggle them on and off.
Perhaps it’s a little niche, but I do this all the time for various reasons. Now a single tap will switch each one on and off. A long press opens the existing Internet menu, but this may change in future iterations of the software.
By default, the new tiles are small squares, but you can edit and adjust them if you wish.
Happy data toggling, Pixel users!
Chris Martin / Foundry
Android 17 is set to launch fully in June or July, ahead of the Pixel 11 phones and it seems there’s lots to look forward to in the OS, codenamed ‘Cinnamon Bun’.
There’s a new turbo charging feature, contact picker and new blurred visual style, to name just three of the innovations.
Find out if your phone will be getting the Android 17 upgrade.
