Android 17’s ‘Continue On’ closes gap with Apple ecosystem
▼ Summary
– Google announced “Continue On” for Android 17, allowing users to move apps between Android devices and resume where they left off.
– The feature initially supports phone-to-tablet handoffs, with app suggestions appearing in the tablet taskbar.
– It works bidirectionally, so devices can both send and receive app sessions, enabling seamless switching without reopening apps.
– Apps can continue either as native apps or via a web browser, with a fallback to web if the app is not installed on the receiving device.
– Continue On is part of Google’s strategy to improve Android’s cross-device ecosystem and compete with Apple’s continuity features.
Google announced a wave of updates at I/O 2026, and while much of the buzz centered on Gemini and the company’s expanding AI strategy, a quieter but equally significant feature emerged for Android. The new capability, called Continue On, directly targets one of the longest-standing pain points in the Android ecosystem: seamless cross-device task switching.
Designed to bridge the gap between phones, tablets, and eventually other form factors, Continue On allows users to start an activity on one Android device and pick it up on another without missing a beat. The feature was detailed in a developer blog post and marks a clear step forward in Google’s effort to compete with Apple’s tightly integrated continuity features.
Initially, Continue On will support phone-to-tablet handoffs. If you are browsing a document or composing an email on your phone, Android will surface that same app as a suggestion in the tablet’s taskbar. Tapping it returns you to the exact spot you left off, whether that is a specific tab in Gmail or a particular page in Google Docs.
Google confirmed that the feature works bidirectionally, meaning supported devices can both send and receive app sessions. This opens the door for fluid movement between multiple Android devices without the need to manually reopen apps or hunt for lost tabs.
In demos, Google showcased Google Docs transitioning from a phone to a tablet with the same document state and cursor position intact. Another example showed Gmail moving from the Android app on a phone to the Gmail web interface on a larger screen, preserving the same open email thread.
The implementation is flexible. Some apps will hand off directly to their native Android version on the receiving device, while others may switch to a web-based experience. If the target device lacks the app entirely, Continue On includes a fallback that opens the task in a web browser, ensuring users can still continue their workflow.
Continue On will roll out with the Android 17 release candidate in the coming weeks. It represents a meaningful step toward a more cohesive, Apple-like ecosystem for Android users, without requiring a complete hardware overhaul.
(Source: Android Authority)
