Google is finally giving Android users something iPhone owners have quietly enjoyed for years.
With Android 17, the company is introducing a new feature called Continue On. This lets you start a task on your phone and carry on seamlessly from a tablet.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s very similar to Apple’s Handoff feature, which has long been one of the best parts of the Apple ecosystem. The difference is that Google is now trying to bring that same kind of cross-device continuity to Android, something the platform has historically struggled with.
At launch, Continue On will work one way only: from smartphone to tablet. When users switch over to a compatible Android tablet, they’ll see a Continue On icon appear in the dock. It will show the app they were just using on their phone. Tap it, and Android should reopen the same document, email, or webpage you were already working on.
Google says the feature can even pick the “best page” to continue from in a browser. This sounds particularly useful for things like reading articles, editing Docs files, or jumping back into unfinished emails.
The bigger picture here is arguably more interesting than the feature itself. Android devices have improved massively on their own over the years. However, Google’s ecosystem still hasn’t matched the smooth handoff experience Apple users get between iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
That could finally be changing. Between Continue On and Google’s recently announced Android-powered “Googlebook” laptops, the company seems much more serious about making Android feel like a connected platform rather than a collection of separate devices.
There are still some limitations, though. Google says bidirectional support — meaning tablet-to-phone handoffs — is planned eventually, but it won’t be available initially. There’s also no clear timeline yet for wider rollout support outside Android 17’s upcoming RC1 build.
Still, this feels like one of those quietly important Android updates that could end up mattering more in daily use than flashy AI features. Seamlessly moving between devices without losing your place is something Apple users have taken for granted for years. Android finally looks ready to catch up.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Continue On lets you start a task on your phone and carry on seamlessly from a tablet. It is very similar to Apple's Handoff feature, which has long been one of the best parts of the Apple ecosystem.
At launch, Continue On will work one way only: from smartphone to tablet. When you switch to a compatible Android tablet, a Continue On icon appears in the dock showing the app you were just using. Tap it to reopen the same document, email, or webpage.
Google says the feature can even pick the best page to continue from in a browser, which is useful for reading articles, editing Docs files, or jumping back into unfinished emails.
Google says bidirectional support, meaning tablet-to-phone handoffs, is planned eventually. Between Continue On and Google's recently announced Android-powered Googlebook laptops, Google seems much more serious about making Android feel like a connected platform.
