I tried Android 17, and multitasking finally feels right

Credit: Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf By Brady Snyder Published Jul 4, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT Brady is a technology journalist for MakeUseOf with years of experience covering all things mobile, computing, and general tech. He has a focus on Android phones and audio gear, and holds a B.S. in Journalism from St. John's University. Brady has written for publications like Android Central, Android Authority, XDA, Android Police, iMore, and others. He has experience reporting on major events held by Google, Apple, and Samsung, as well as trade shows like Lenovo Innovation World and IFA. When he's not writing about and testing the latest gadgets, you'll find Brady watching Big East basketball and running. Sign in to your MakeUseOf account Add Us On follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap Google's standard version of Android lacks the advanced multitasking features you'd find on skins from Samsung, Motorola, or OnePlus. The company has started to change that, though. Android 16 brought a true desktop mode to Pixels last year, and Android 17 is finally here with a multitasking improvement of its own. App bubbles let Android 17 users condense apps into tiny bubbles that can be opened as floating windows. They're handy on regular phones, but as I've tested Android 17 across multiple Pixels, I realized app bubbles shine on foldables.