Android 17 Beta 2 has officially been released by Google. Its aim seems to be privacy, as new features like a limited-access contact picker and EyeDropper API are bundled in this early Android 17 beta build.
Google is busy with releases, because this new Android 17 Beta 2 build is being released hot on the heels of Gemini’s Nano Banana 2 image generation engine.
As for the mobile update, Android 17 Beta 2 is adding a few building blocks for developers. The new tools are privacy-focused, just like the photo picker that limits access to only selected photos. Android 17’s new contacts picker is very similar.
According to the Android 17 Beta 2 release notes, the system-level contacts picker will allow apps to access users’ contact lists, but will be roped off from accessing certain contacts based on their data fields.
A new system-level contacts picker via ACTION_PICK_CONTACTS grants temporary, session-based read access to only the specific data fields requested by the user, reducing the need for the broad READ_CONTACTS permissions. It also allows for selections from the device’s personal or work profiles.
It looks like users will see a selection screen listing their contacts. Picking them will grant apps access to those entries, though that access will be revoked once the session times out or the action is completed.
On a similar note, the added EyeDropper API will preserve user privacy by collecting display color data without risking screen capture. The function allows apps to request a color from any pixel on the display. The app will not need screen capture permissions, because that isn’t happening in the background.
Both features are packed into Android 17 Beta 2 and are available now. We’re still unpacking Android 17 Beta, so be sure to follow 9to5Google for more news as it becomes available.
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