Android 17 will introduce a new feature called Continue On, allowing users to pick up app activities seamlessly across Android devices. Similar to Apple's Handoff, this feature enables transferring in-progress tasks from one device to another without manually navigating to the same point.
Google announced Continue On in the developer documentation rather than during the I/O 2026 keynote. The feature is set to launch alongside Android 17. Initially, it will support mobile-to-tablet handoff, with broader device support expected to follow.
How Android 17’s New Continue On Feature Works
When a user is working in a supported app on one Android device, picking up another nearby device that also supports the feature will show a suggestion in the taskbar to open the same app. Choosing this suggestion opens the app and picks up right 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 any other Continue On-capable device.
Google’s developer documentation includes examples such as:
- A Google Doc open on a phone resumes in the same tab when the user picks up a tablet.
- A Gmail thread open on a phone opens on Gmail’s web interface on a tablet.
App-to-Web Fallback and Where Continue On Will Be Available
Continue On allows users to transfer from an app to the web version of a service. Whether an app uses a web fallback is up to the developer, but this mechanism also acts as a backup if the device does not have the relevant app installed. This means handoff can still work if the user has the app on their phone but not on their 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 expand 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 to Pixel users. Developer documentation for Continue On is now accessible for app developers preparing to implement support ahead of the Android 17 launch.
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