Android 17 just unlocked its own version of Handoff, and Googlebooks are the reason

Android 17 is getting a new Continue activity menu that lets our phones pass tasks, apps, notifications and files to our other devices. I already have it running on my Pixel 11 Pro XL, and it's arriving just before Googlebook pre-orders open, giving the best Android phones a real answer to the Handoff trick iPhone 18 Pro Max owners already enjoy.

Google Play Services quietly adds a Continue activity hub

The new menu was spotted by AssembleDebug, who has been digging cross-device features out of Google Play Services code for years, and it's detailed in a new report. It showed up on a Pixel 9 running the stable version of Android 17, sitting inside the existing Cross-device services menu right next to Call casting and Internet sharing.

Upon updating to the September Google Play system update, I found the same menu on my Pixel 11 Pro XL, and opening it reveals four toggles that can each be switched on separately: Tasks, Apps, Notifications and Files & media sharing.



Turning them on brings up a permission sheet asking to let Cross-Device Services mirror your screen and stream apps, handle notifications and access your photos and media. Since this is coming through Play Services rather than a system update, it appears to be a gradual server-side rollout, so not everyone on Android 17 will see it right away.

Why Continue activity matters for Googlebooks and iPhone rivals

The Tasks toggle is likely the new home for Continue On, which Google introduced with Android 17 to let you jump back into an app on a tablet with a single tap from its taskbar. We saw strings for this whole system months ago, and the timing now makes sense, since Google confirmed on Android's social accounts that Googlebook pre-orders open on September 21.


Of course, Apple has offered this for years through Handoff, which lets you start something on one Apple device and continue it on another nearby one, as long as both use the same Apple Account. It's on by default and already works in apps like Safari, Mail and Notes, along with many third-party apps, so iPhone 18 Pro Max owners won't feel much pressure from this yet.

Samsung's own Continue apps feature is far more limited, since it only covers Samsung Notes and Samsung Internet between Galaxy devices signed in to the same Samsung account. However, Google's cross-device services already reached select Galaxy phones, so Galaxy owners could likely end up with a broader handoff tool than Samsung's own.

What Continue activity means for Android 17 users right now

If you're on Android 17 and see the menu, you get to decide exactly what crosses over, since every toggle works on its own. That matters, because the permission list is fairly broad, and someone who only wants notification sync doesn't have to share their photos too.

It should be noted that Tasks depends on apps supporting Continue On, so how useful it feels will likely come down to which apps adopt it by the time Googlebooks ship.

I'm hoping Google's handoff doesn't stop at its own apps

I switched on all four toggles on my Pixel 11 Pro XL as soon as I found them, which only took a Set up prompt and one permission sheet.

I'm guessing Google will show off its own apps first, but I'd personally love to see third-party developers jump on Continue On early, so picking up where I left off on a Googlebook doesn't feel limited to a handful of apps.

More on Android 17 and cross-device features:

• How Google's Handoff-style system first surfaced
• Everything you need to know about Android 17
• Google Pixel 11 Pro XL

• Follow me on X and Threads

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