Last week, we asked you which announcements coming from Google I/O got you excited — in general, but also specifically for the upcoming Android 17 update.
Starting with the top-level question, Android 17 was the best thing shown at I/O 2026 so far. Not surprising, given our audience. But the ranking of other alternatives surprised us – hardly anyone cared about Wear OS 7. The smartwatches lost out to Gemini Intelligence and Android Auto (which were essentially tied) and even the new Googlebook design (an Android-powered laptop) sparked more interest.
Some hoped that Googlebooks would inspire Android app developers to put more effort into a desktop-friendly UI. This will pair well with Android 17’s improvements but desktop mode is still “not here yet” for phones with video-capable USB-C ports.
Well, let’s get to Android 17 – what is it that has people so excited? “Additional safety features” was the top-voted option. To an extent, the customized Android versions used by each phone manufacturer already add a lot of features, but security threats are a major issue, considering how much of our lives now pass through our phones.
It then announced compatibility with AirDrop, Apple’s local wireless file sharing feature that Android manufacturers have been trying to match for years. This was similar to the “green bubble” issue, although there was less argument about it.
Although there were a lot of negative opinions, Gemini Intelligence received a fairly warm reception both here and in the survey above. Making it easier to switch phones was also a popular improvement.
The new features that got the least attention were things like new emoji, picture-in-picture screen reactions, and pause points (a way to break your app addiction).
In both surveys, there was a very strong feeling that this was an underwhelming I/O and that Google didn’t have anything particularly interesting to add to its main OSes. Wear OS in particular needs more attention next year.
Another issue people raised in the comments was Google’s new rules for sideloaded apps, though that wasn’t specifically tied to I/O.