always-on-top of other app windows. For example, a video conferencing app could use this feature to keep call controls accessible while you navigate other apps.

# 🎨 New customization features for the home screen and apps

*tl;dr Android 17 gives you deeper control over your device's UI by letting you hide app labels on the home screen, selectively toggle the Expanded Dark Theme for individual apps, and enjoy sleek, modernized background blur effects in more surfaces like the widget picker.*

**Hide app labels on the home screen**

Android now provides a setting to hide app labels on the home screen! You can access this new setting on Pixel by opening Wallpaper & style then tapping Home screen > Icons > Names and toggling Show app names.

https://preview.redd.it/6ft4ur29ko7h1.png?width=1458&format=png&auto=webp&s=fc3a9c1275a5934a2eea0690e271186a09ddf56f

**Per-app exceptions for Expanded Dark Theme**

To create a more consistent user experience for users who have low vision, photosensitivity, or simply prefer a dark system-wide appearance, we introduced an expanded dark theme option in last December’s Android 16 QPR2 release. When this option is enabled, the system automatically applies dark theme to most apps that don’t support it.

However, because this option can cause some apps to display incorrectly, we have introduced the ability to selectively disable it on a per-app basis in Android 17. [Apps with this setting turned off](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fandroid-17-beta-3-a-new-multitasking-experience-redesigned-v0-pbom71gp2grg1.png%3Fwidth%3D960%26format%3Dpng%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dbfed08f5948320f4655a4cb2a6dd4a43f93f23fe) will use the standard dark theme option instead.

**Expanded use of background blur**

With the Material 3 Expressive redesign we introduced in Android 16, we subtly blurred the notification shade background to provide a sense of depth so you can stay aware of the apps you’re using in the background.

https://preview.redd.it/05nj5w69ko7h1.png?width=1976&format=png&auto=webp&s=2da76cf5514f13dadbd64d017f9d375a6431c458

In Android 17, we’ve brought these blur effects to more parts of the UI like the widgets picker. And we are working on bringing background blur to even more surfaces, as seen in recent Android Beta and Canary builds!

# 🎮 More control over your Android gaming experience

*tl;dr Android 17 levels up your mobile play by letting you save custom button remaps for your physical gamepad at the system level, and introducing a foldable gaming mode that optimizes your screen with a 50/50 split for a dedicated top game view and a bottom dynamic gamepad.*

**Remap the buttons on your physical gamepad with Game Controller settings**

Android 17 introduces a native controller remapping feature, allowing you to adjust the controls on your physical gamepad to suit your specific needs.

https://preview.redd.it/znxqdhy8ko7h1.png?width=1868&format=png&auto=webp&s=30bde20166625e4329f800dc96e3539a093d2da6

Through the new Game Controller settings menu, you can customize the actions triggered by your controller’s buttons, sticks, or triggers at the system level. For example, you can remap a difficult-to-press thumbstick click to an easier-to-reach face button. Your remapping preferences are saved to your device so you don’t have to set them up every time you reconnect your controller. 

**A new way to game on foldables**

Android 17 introduces foldable gaming mode, a new feature that makes full use of your foldable phone’s screen while you’re gaming. This feature splits your screen into a 50:50 layout with a game view on top and a dynamic gamepad below to make optimal use of your foldable phone’s screen real estate. Foldable gaming mode is part of the Android 17 platform and will be available on devices in the coming months.

https://preview.redd.it/vrgttt69ko7h1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=62fac3e240aa2d283b0a3e9d9222122e15043774

# 🛡️ Protecting users with new security and privacy features on Android

*tl;dr Android 17 safeguards your personal data by enabling