Android 17 Beta 1 is around the corner, will skip the traditional Developer Preview stage

While Android beta testers were exploring the newly-launched Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1, Google decided to surprise everyone. The official Android Beta Program handle on Reddit has confirmed the arrival of Android 17 Beta 1, and it’s coming sooner than you’d think.

“We are looking forward to our next Beta program cycle that covers our Android 17 Platform Release (26Q2),” says Google. It says the upcoming update will build on the Android 16 QPR platform release and include the “latest bug fixes and improvements.”

A surprise at the end of the cycle

The timing isn’t exactly shocking, as Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1 is the last update in the cycle. What’s unique, however, is Google’s route. Instead of pushing Android 17 via the Developer Preview stage, the company is jumping straight into the first beta.

Current beta testers (those enrolled in the Android Beta Program with an eligible Pixel smartphone) will automatically receive the Android 17 update once it goes live (which could be sometime in the coming weeks).

On the one hand, it’s good that Google is seeding the Android 17 update promptly to beta testers, making the initial build available for a wider testing audience.

The fine print beta testers shouldn’t ignore

However, once testers upgrade to Android 17 Beta 1, they won’t be able to roll back to the previous stable version until the cycle ends (which would be around June 2026) without wiping their device.

Anyways, that also implies that Google is planning to release the stable Android 17 version around the same time. Regular users should expect the major Android update to hit their Pixel devices in or around June 2026.

As for what’s new in Android 17 Beta 1? Google hasn’t spilled the beans yet. Even so, we expect to see the usual early-beta performance improvements and software refinements, sprinkled with a couple of visual adjustments.