Android 17 will introduce a new feature called continueAllows users to seamlessly capture app activities on Android devices. Similar to Apple’s Handoff, this feature enables tasks in progress to be transferred from one device to another without having to manually navigate to the same point.
Google announced the release in a developer document rather than an I/O 2026 keynote. The feature is set to launch with Android 17. Initially, it will support mobile-to-tablet handoff, with broader device support expected later.
How Android 17’s new Continue On feature works
When a user is working in a supported app on an Android device, selecting another nearby device that supports the feature will show a suggestion in the taskbar to open the same app. Selecting this suggestion opens the app and picks up where the user left off on the first device.
Handoff works both ways. Google says there is no primary device hierarchy. Any Android device with Continue On enabled can send and receive activity from another Continue On-enabled device.
Google’s developer documentation includes such examples:
- When the user picks up the tablet the Google document open on the phone resumes in the same tab.
- A Gmail thread open on a phone opens to Gmail’s web interface on a tablet.
App-to-Web fallback and Where Continue On will be available
Continue allows users to move from an app to the web version of a service. Whether an app uses web fallback depends on the developer, but this mechanism also serves as a backup if the device does not have the corresponding app installed. This means Handoff can still work if the user has the app on their phone but not on a tablet, with the web version opening instead.
Continue On will be introduced as part of Android 17. Initially, support is limited to transitions between mobile devices and tablets. Google has not announced when support will be expanded to other device pairings or a final release date for Android 17.
The operating system is currently in beta, with QPR1 Beta 1 already available for Pixel users. Developer documentation for Continue is now available for app developers preparing to implement support ahead of the Android 17 launch.
