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Google Adds Continue On to Android 17 for Cross-Device Task Handoffs

The feature offers a system-level way to pick up an app or web task on another Android device and will enter testing in Android 17 RC1 with phone-to-tablet support only.

Overview

  • Google unveiled Continue On at its Android session at Google I/O and published developer documentation and demo videos explaining how the feature works.
  • Continue On makes an activity from one device appear as a handoff suggestion on other devices signed into the same account so users can open the same document, email, or webpage on the receiving device.
  • Google built two handoff modes: native app-to-app handoff and web handoff that opens the session in the receiving device’s browser when the app is not installed.
  • Developers choose how their apps participate, including opting for app-to-app, web fallback, or hybrid behavior, and Google says bidirectional handoffs are planned but the initial launch will only support phone-to-tablet transitions.
  • Google says Continue On will be available to test in the Android 17 RC1 release candidate, and its real-world reach will depend on developer adoption, device support and how Google expands support beyond phones and tablets.