Android 17 makes responsive design mandatory for API 37 apps

7 articles · Updated · Android Police · Apr 30

Google says more than 500 million active Android devices now sit beyond slab phones, including tablets, foldables, ChromeOS devices, cars and AR glasses.
The system will override legacy manifest settings that lock orientation or disable resizing, though games can still fix orientation and phones under 600dp keep current behaviour.
Android 16 began forcing adaptation on larger screens with a temporary opt-out, while Android 17 extends desktop-style multitasking; older apps targeting earlier APIs may remain awkward until deprecation rules bite.

With this mandate, can Android tablets finally challenge the polished software experience of Apple's iPad?

Will forcing apps to resize create better experiences, or just new ways for them to break on large screens?

Will Google’s strict design rules shrink the Play Store by pushing out smaller, legacy app developers?