Android 17’s ‘Continue On’ brings Apple-style task switching
▼ Summary
– Android 17’s “Continue On” feature lets users start a task on one Android device and seamlessly continue it on another.
– The feature works bidirectionally but will initially only support transfers between Android phones and tablets.
– A handoff suggestion appears in the tablet’s dock, enabling actions like opening the same Google Docs document or transferring a Gmail email to Chrome.
– “Continue On” functions similarly to Apple’s Handoff, which has allowed task transfer between iPhones, iPads, and Macs since 2014.
– Google plans to release the feature in Android 17 “RC1,” likely a release candidate version.
Google is quietly building its answer to Apple’s Handoff, and it’s called “Continue On.” Slated for arrival in Android 17, this feature lets users shift tasks from one Android device to another without missing a beat.
The announcement came during Google I/O 2026, specifically within the “What’s new in Android” session, and was later fleshed out on a developer page. At its core, Continue On enables a smooth, bidirectional flow of activities across your Android devices. As Google explains, it allows users to start an app on one Android phone or tablet and then pick up exactly where they left off on another device within the same ecosystem.
The mechanics are straightforward: activities from your Android device will appear on other devices linked to the same account. Initially, this handoff will work only between Android phones and tablets. For instance, if you’re reading a document in Google Docs on your phone, a suggestion will pop up in your tablet’s dock, letting you open that same document instantly. Another example shows an email in Gmail seamlessly handing off to Chrome on a tablet, opening directly to that specific message.
This concept bears a striking resemblance to Apple’s Handoff, which debuted back in 2014 and lets iPhone, iPad, and Mac users pass tasks between devices. Google’s version is more constrained at launch, but the underlying idea is the same: eliminate friction when switching screens.
According to Google, Continue On will roll out with Android 17 RC1, likely referring to a release candidate. The last scheduled beta for Android 17 landed about a month ago, so a “.1” update is not out of the question. For now, the feature remains a promising glimpse into a more connected Android future.
(Source: 9to5google.com)
