The first, which aims to reduce risks associated with unencrypted traffic, is related to the usesCleartextTraffic attribute. On apps targeting Android 17, if the attribute is set to 'true' but lacks a corresponding network security configuration, cleartext traffic will be blocked by default. Developers are advised to migrate to network security configuration files for more granular control.
Google recently began rolling out the Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1 update to eligible Pixel devices. At the same time, the company has confirmed that the first Android 17 beta is coming soon. In a Reddit post, Google revealed that the Android 17 Beta 1 will roll out to users soon with bug fixes and include improved performance and system stability.
It's that time of year when Android users (and pundits) start wondering what's in the next release. Well, the good news is that Google has already announced some of the features, which are carry-overs from Android 16 QPR1 and Android 16 QPR2. This approach means that these features are in quarterly drops, often targeted at Pixel users, and may eventually reach other devices.