- Google announces three new privacy protection features for its next-generation Android OS, “Android 17.”
- The new features include a “Location” button, a “Location” indicator, and a new “Contact Picker.”
- To ensure strict compliance with “Google Play policies,” developers are encouraged to promptly integrate these three new privacy features into their apps.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2026 (local time), Google announced three new privacy protection features set to be introduced in the next-generation Android OS, “Android 17.”
The three privacy features announced for “Android 17” are the new “Location” button, a “Location” indicator, and a new “Contact Picker.” Furthermore, to ensure full compliance with “Google Play policies,” app developers are strongly encouraged to implement these new features as soon as possible.
The New “Location” Button
The new “Location” button introduced in “Android 17” allows users to temporarily share their precise location only while using a specific app.
For example, if you are looking for a nearby cafe, you can temporarily share your precise location for that specific purpose. At other times, you can turn off precise location sharing, providing robust protection for user privacy.
“Location” Indicator
In “Android 17,” similar to the existing indicators that notify you when an app is using your device’s camera or microphone, an indicator (icon) will now appear at the top of the screen whenever an app is accessing your “Location.”
Additionally, tapping this “Location” indicator will display a list of apps that have recently accessed your location, allowing you to manage and change permission settings on the spot.
New “Contact Picker”
Previously, apps often required access to your entire contact list, even if they only needed to use a single specific contact.
However, “Android 17” introduces a new “Contact Picker” that enables apps to access only specific contacts selected by the user. Along with this, access permissions to contacts will also be restricted to a temporary basis.
Source：Google（https://blog.google/security/whats-new-in-android-security-privacy-2026/）
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