Google is preparing a notable continuity feature for Android 17 called Continue On, and its goal is straightforward: let people move work from a phone to a tablet without starting over. The feature is designed to keep an activity alive across devices, making the handoff feel far less disruptive for users who often begin something on a smaller screen and finish it elsewhere.
The system-level feature was outlined after Google wrapped up I/O 2026 in California. It is positioned as part of Android 17 itself, arriving with API level 37 rather than as a separate app, which means the continuity experience is built into the platform foundation.
A closer match to Apple’s Handoff
Continue On has drawn attention because of how closely its purpose resembles Apple’s Handoff. Both aim to let a task start on one device and continue on another with minimal friction.
The difference is that Google is bringing that idea into Android’s own ecosystem. Google has so far confirmed initial support for moving activity from a phone to a tablet, and the mechanism is described as two-way, meaning supported devices can both send and receive app activity.
How the transition is meant to work
The process is designed to stay simple. A user can begin an activity on a phone, then open the same app suggestion on the tablet and continue from the last point.
On the tablet, Android will surface the relevant app suggestion in the taskbar. Once tapped, the activity resumes where it was left off, reducing the need to search for the same file, document, or page again.
Google used Google Docs to demonstrate the flow. A document was edited on an Android phone, then the same work was opened again on a connected Android tablet using the same Google account, with the continuation prompt appearing directly in the tablet taskbar.
More than just document editing
Google also showed Gmail as another example. In that demo, the activity started in Gmail on a phone and was continued in Gmail on the tablet, with the same email thread available in the next device context.
The company also said an app can choose to reopen the same Android app if the native version is available on the receiving device. That means the experience does not have to fall back to the web version when the app is already installed.
What the demo suggests about Google’s focus
The choice of Google Docs and Gmail points clearly toward productivity. Those apps represent common tasks such as editing documents and keeping up with email threads, both of which benefit from preserving context during a device switch.
That focus matters for people who start quick tasks on a phone and then want a larger workspace on a tablet. If the experience stays consistent, the transition can feel closer to one continuous session rather than a restart.
Google has framed Continue On as a platform feature in Android 17, not as a capability limited to selected apps. The company also introduced it through a developer blog, which indicates that developers will be able to adapt their apps so activities can be transferred properly.
At this stage, Google has not announced any third-party apps that will support the feature from launch. The company has also not explained whether the continuity system will expand to other Android device categories, so the first rollout appears aimed at the most practical use case first.
Source: www.gadgets360.com
