Android 17 gets a smarter media switcher, and it already feels better than the old carousel

• Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 has a new media app switcher UI in notifications and on the lock screen.
• It replaces the old carousel-style layout with a new card layout.
• Apart from swiping, users can also tap cards to switch between media apps.

Google released Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 as something of a surprise announcement at I/O 2026, and it comes with a bunch of changes and new features. Among the many new features in Android 17 is a relatively small yet noteworthy change to the media controls.

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