HONOR Magic8 Pro Among the First to Support Android 17 Beta 3 for Developers

[Shenzhen, China – May 12, 2026] – Global AI device ecosystem company HONOR today announced that the HONOR Magic8 Pro will be among the first in the industry to support Android 17 Beta 3, allowing developers to test out new features, refine application compatibility, and seamlessly integrate their apps working with HONOR’s flagship device.

For end users, Android 17 promises a significantly more intuitive, secure, and personalized smartphone experience. The latest Beta 3 enhancements deliver seamless multitasking with system-wide Bubbles, streamlined Quick Settings for faster connectivity management, and robust privacy controls for screen recording and location sharing. Furthermore, users will benefit from deeper UI customization options, improved visual comfort through granular dark theme settings, and the ability to unlock pro-grade photography with new RAW14 support, empowering them with unprecedented control over their daily device interactions.

Bubbles Now Available System-wide

With Android 17 Beta 3, multitasking receives a massive upgrade through the newly expanded Bubbles feature. Developers can now optimize any application to run on this floating window platform. This allows apps to be quickly minimized to a floating icon and recalled from anywhere on the screen, creating a seamless multitasking experience. This feature is especially beneficial for maximizing productivity, allowing users to keep essential tools easily accessible while navigating other applications.

Unleashing Professional Photography with RAW14

Complementing HONOR Magic8 Pro's AiMAGE camera system, Android 17 Beta 3 introduces native support for the RAW14 image format. Recognized as the de facto industry standard for high-end digital photography, this single-channel, 14-bit-per-pixel format enables applications to handle densely packed, uncompressed image data. For developers, this means third-party camera and editing applications can now fully leverage the HONOR Magic8 Pro's advanced computational optics and massive sensors to capture, process, and export photos with professional-grade clarity, dynamic range, and color accuracy.

Enhanced UI Customization and Media Experiences

Android 17 Beta 3 also introduces deeper UI customization options, giving both developers and users more control over the visual experience. Developers can now tailor the visual presentation of Photo Picker by modifying the grid view aspect ratio - such as shifting from a standard 1:1 square to a 9:16 portrait display. Users can now also opt to hide app labels with the new update to create a cleaner, minimalist interface for their home screen.

Streamlined System Controls and Screen Recording

The Quick Settings menu has been refined to split Wi-Fi and mobile data into two separate, dedicated tiles, allowing users to toggle either connection with a single, instant tap. Additionally, the update introduces a redesigned, pill-shaped screen recording menu. This streamlined UI now allows users to easily choose whether to record their entire screen or a specific app, enhancing both usability and privacy during recordings.

Expanded Dark Theme

To ensure optimal visual comfort and app readability, Android 17 Beta 3 introduces new granular controls for Expanded Dark Theme. While the system can force unsupported apps into a darkened theme to save battery and reduce eye strain, users now have access to a per-app settings menu. This allows them to manually disable the forced dark mode for specific applications where the expanded theme might cause display or readability issues, offering a better balance between system-wide aesthetics and individual app functionality.

Next-generation Privacy and Security

On the security front, Beta 3 introduces robust protections that give users greater control over their data. A new system-provided Location Button allows apps to request precise location access for the current session only, significantly minimizing unnecessary background tracking. Android 17 Beta 3 also bolsters device safety by blocking local network access by default and enforcing read-only dynamic code loading to prevent injection attacks. Furthermore, the update prepares the Android ecosystem for the future by adopting Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) through a new hybrid APK signature scheme, ensuring applications remain secure against evolving digital threats.

HONOR Reaffirms Commitment to Developers

The HONOR Magic8 Pro already sets a high benchmark for flagship smartphones, seamlessly integrating HONOR’s pioneering AiMAGE camera system, the ultra-fast Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform¹, and a massive 6,270mAh² HONOR Silicon-carbon Battery. As developers continue to leverage the tools within Android 17 Beta 3, the HONOR Magic8 Pro is poised to become even more powerful, seamlessly blending its cutting-edge hardware with the latest software innovations to unlock new possibilities for global users.

By bringing the Android 17 Beta to developers working with the HONOR Magic8 Pro, HONOR reaffirms its commitment to supporting developers in adapting and optimizing their Android applications to deliver the best user experience. This also underscores HONOR’s deeply collaborative relationship with Google and its dedication to ensuring a smooth rollout of the official Android 17 release.

About HONOR  

HONOR is a global leading AI device ecosystem company. It is committed to revolutionizing human-to-device interactions to bridge the AI ecosystem with all consumers in the agentic AI era and beyond. The company endeavors to open industrial boundaries through open, seamless collaboration to co-create a value-sharing ecosystem with industry partners. With an innovative product portfolio spanning intelligent phones, AI PCs, tablets, wearables and more, HONOR aims to empower every human, enabling everyone to embrace the new intelligent world.
For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.honor.com or email newsroom@honor.com 
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¹ Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries.
² Data from the HONOR lab, the rated battery capacity is 6090mAh.