Android 17 Beta 4 quietly improves system navigation for mouse and trackpad users

• Android 17 Beta 4 shipped last week with minor behavior changes that could make mouse and trackpad navigation easier.
• Split screen arrangements can now be resized using large buttons that move the windows between 50:50, 70:30, and 90:10 ratios.
• There’s a new “X” button on biometric authentication dialog windows that should make it easier for cursor users to exit them.

Google released the last scheduled Android 17 beta last week, calling the fourth beta “the near-final environment” for the upcoming operating system release. In fact, the company is already shifting gears toward Android 17 QPR1, seeding the first beta for that release this week. However, as testers continue to play around with Android 17 Beta 4, we’re continuing to learn more about the behavior changes users can soon expect from the final Android 17 release.

Google’s Mishaal Rahman spotted a few user-facing tweaks to Android 17 Beta 4 in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Specifically, these minor updates aim to improve navigation, and Rahman suspects they could come in handy for mouse and trackpad users. Android 17 Beta 4 makes it easier to resize split screen app pairs using physical up or down arrows. Tapping the grab handle now reveals two arrows that can be used to move an app up or down in a split screen arrangement.