During the first day of Google I/O 2026, Google unveiled a variety of new features, including 'Continue On.' This innovative functionality in Android 17 allows app developers to enhance cross-device continuity for users.
According to Google, 'Continue On enables users to start an Android app on one Android device and then transition to another device within their Android ecosystem, seamlessly continuing the journey they initiated.'
In simpler terms, if you are drafting a document in the Google Docs app on your Android smartphone, 'Continue On' enables you to pick up right where you left off on your Android tablet, provided both devices are connected to the same account. A handoff suggestion will appear in the taskbar of the tablet.
Handoff suggestion appears in the tablet's taskbarThe 'Continue On' feature operates bidirectionally, meaning any supported Android device can both send and receive app activities and tasks. However, at launch, it will exclusively support transitions from mobile to tablet devices.
There are two types of handoffs supported by 'Continue On': app-to-app handoff and web handoff.
App-to-app handoff allows users to continue utilizing an app on a tablet exactly where they left off on their smartphone. The example involving Google Docs illustrates this functionality. A video demonstration is provided below.
With web handoff, your activity and data from the app on your smartphone can continue in the default web browser on your tablet instead of within the app itself. For instance, if you are composing an email in the Gmail app on your smartphone, you can carry on with that task using your tablet's web browser with web handoff. A video illustrating this process follows.
'Continue On' also features a fallback system that activates when an app-to-app handoff is preferred, but the receiving device (tablet) lacks the app that is installed on the sending device (smartphone). In such cases, the task can still be accessed through the default web browser on the receiving device, ensuring continuity.
'Continue On' will be accessible with the release candidate of Android 17.
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