Android 17 Beta 2 refreshes location and camera access indicators, ditches wide design
Source: 9to5Google
This is the second time Google has adjusted how privacy icons appear in the status bar recently. Android 17 Beta 2 simplifies the privacy icons with more instantly recognizable designs.
Android 17 Beta 2 is official, arriving no later than two weeks after the first beta release of Google’s new OS version. The build is focused heavily on security, according to the official announcement, and includes a couple of small stylistic changes you might notice right away.
The second beta for Android 17 has adjusted the location, camera, and microphone activity indicators. These icons show that your Pixel is using one of those features—a privacy tool to make it obvious that apps are actively using personal information.
The icons have changed from a pill or chip shape to a smaller circle. The icon inside is bolder and fills most of the circle, making the mic, location, and camera icons easier to spot at a glance.
The new privacy icons in Android 17 Beta 2 are bold, especially paired with the change to the location indicator introduced in Android 16 QPR3. When more than one is active, they sit next to each other in a pill icon, allowing the icons to take up less space in the status bar. The camera and microphone indicator always use the same chip, while the blue location tag remains separate.
When the notification shade is up, the privacy icons still appear as a dot, seemingly unchanged from before.
More on Android 17 Beta 2
- How to install the Android 17 Beta on Google Pixel
- Android 17 Beta 2 adds secure contacts selection and color picker API
- Android 17 Beta 2 brings a pop‑out windowed mode to all apps with ‘bubbles’
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