Google may have surprised us with more new Android 17 features than expected, but there's still no sign of these three

Date:
Tue, 19 May 2026 13:04:39 +0000

Description:
Google announced loads of new Android 17 features are on the way, but there's still no sign of these three.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Google has confirmed that several new Android 17 features are on the way Three of the most-anticipated updates did not get announced, though Poll reveals that Gemini Intelligence
is the most exciting new feature Ahead of Google 's annual developer conference, aka Google I/O , later today (May 19), the company announced a slew of new updates to its Android 17 operating system but some rumored features were noticeably absent.

Leading up to the Android Show, at which Google confirmed several new
features and improvements like 3D emojis and 'Screen Reactions' , speculation had been building around several unannounced Android 17 tools discovered in beta versions by code diggers. From a visual redesign to a new home-screen customizer tool, there seemed to be some evidence suggesting that these new Android 17 features would be announced during the showcase. Latest Videos
From You may like 7 major Android 17 announcements from Google's pre-I/O showcase Google to host 'The Android Show' on May 12 ahead of I/O Google's Android Show: start times and expected Android 17 updates

As expected, we did get a visual refresh in a roundabout way with Material 3 Expressive, which builds upon the Android 12 design update Material You with more dynamic colors and response animations. But it stopped short of the Liquid Glass-eque redesign that some leaks had hinted at.

The rumored home-screen customizer tool also appeared, but in a different
form to what was expected. While Google didn't technically announce this, it did reveal a new Create My Widget tool, which arguably goes even further by letting users generate personalized widgets more easily.

But what about the rumored 'Motion Assist' feature (officially called Motion Cues in Android beta code ), app locking, and a new gesture control tool? According to two separate polls we ran that saw close to 850 votes combined, users might not be too disappointed that these weren't announced, as those features ranked among the least anticipated. The most exciting new Android 17 features Gemini Intelligence is the new Android 17 feature TechRadar readers say they're most excited about trying out (Image credit: Google) Of the new Android 17 features and upgrades that were announced during the event, Gemini Intelligence is perhaps the biggest reveal, as it upgrades Gemini to be far more capable, making it more of an agentic AI assistant. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Given how heavily AI featured across many of Androids new additions, its hardly surprising that 46% of TechRadar readers said Gemini Intelligence was the upgrade they were most excited to try.

That's by a long way too, as only 20% of readers polled were most interested in the new range of 3D emojis, while 19% were excited about the
speech-to-text translation tool, Rambler. Features like Pause Point, which helps with managing screen time, new creator tools like Screen Reactions, and Gemini integration in Chrome ranked among the least anticipated. What do we expect to see announced at Google I/O? Mark your calendars Google I/O kicks off today (Image credit: Google) With Google I/O starting today, we're expecting Google to give Gemini Intelligence a second plug to better showcase some of its potential use cases, including its new agentic AI assistant, called Remy. What to read next Android Show 2026 as it happened all the big news on Android 17, Googlebook, and Gemini Intelligence 5 things to expect at Google I/O 2026 Googles new Create My Widget tool is the first step in generative UI

Theres also a good chance that Google might show off more AI-infused
hardware, including the already announced Googlebook laptops, the Google Home Speaker , and Android XR smart glasses.

Let us know which of these rumored products and services youre most excited
to try by voting in the poll below. And if theres something we havent mentioned, make sure to let us know by leaving a comment.

Want to tune into Google I/O 2026? Check out our how to watch guide for everything you need to know. And make sure to also follow our coverage as we report on the event, which starts at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST on May 19, or 3am AEST on May 20. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/google-may-have-surprised-us-with-more-new-an droid-17-features-than-expected-but-theres-still-no-sign-of-these-three


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