Android 17 pops up on a surprising set of phones already – no longer tied to just Pixel

The Android 17 beta is live, initially starting with the Pixel phones running back to Pixel 6. But now that selection has expanded to include some Motorola phones, too. It's a surprising move, considering how recently the beta went live.

Android 17 moved to its second beta stage on 26 February, but we've also now seen Motorola joining in, with testing also available for its device owners. It's worth noting that this isn't a completely open beta test though, as Motorola will be selecting those to take part and it's divided by region and device type.

Access to Android 17 for Motorola is running through its community forums. It's available for the Moto Edge 2025 in the US, while those with the Moto G57 in Europe can sign up here.

It's rather limited at present, and this is for official beta tester roles, so the idea is that you pass back information to help develop the software experience.

At this point in time, Android 17 is some way from begin complete, so it's likely that there will be features that don't work and regular changes to what's offered. Android 17 can't be considered stable at the moment, so those looking to take part are advised not to use their main device to do so.

Still, it's a good look for Motorola, as it suggests that Motorola will be swift to move to the new software once it's finally released. That's expected to be around June 2026.

When that day comes, Pixel devices will all get the update, while other manufacturers race to get their adapted version pushed out to device owners.

The Android 7 rollout

This process often takes months, with even big brands like Samsung often taking many months to get the new software onto their devices.

Currently, the headline changes that Android 17 will bring aren't known. Sameer Samat – head of Android ecosystem at Google – appeared at Galaxy Unpacked recently and promised that Android 17 would be a pivotal moment for the mobile software, with the move from a operating system to an intelligent one.

That's likely to be powered by increased agentic AI experiences – where Gemini can act on your behalf – but we won't know the full details until Google I/O in May.

It looks like Android 17 is doing a lot of the preparation to get the software in place for what comes next and it seems that Motorola doesn't want to be left behind.