Android 17 launches with Gemini Omni, Lyria 3, and AI-powered multitasking

Google has officially launched Android 17 and Wear OS 7, arriving first on Pixel devices as part of a broader Pixel Drop. The release centers on showcasing Google's latest AI capabilities, including Gemini Omni—a multimodal model that lets users edit videos through natural conversation—and Lyria 3, a music-generation model that creates tracks from text prompts or images within the Gemini app. Pixel 10a devices gain enhanced speech-to-speech translation via AudioLM, while Android Quick Share (file sharing) becomes compatible with Apple's AirDrop on older Pixel 8a and 9a models, improving cross-ecosystem interoperability.

Beyond AI, Android 17 introduces a 'bubble bar' UI element that organizes recent apps into movable bubbles at the bottom of the screen, speeding up multitasking. New features include personalized outgoing audio messages, expanded 'Take a Message' for call screening, and a selfie screen recording mode for reaction videos. Security gets a 'Mark as Lost' feature on Find Hub, live threat detection, and PIN-based parental controls without needing a Google account. For wearables, Wear OS 7 brings emergency detection (car crash, fall, pulse loss) on Pixel Watch, live app mirroring from phones, and upcoming summer updates with Gemini Intelligence for personalized widgets and 'Personal Intelligence.' Google claims up to 10% battery life improvement on Wear OS and multistep automation.