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Every month, Google releases Android Canary builds, allowing users to try new features and changes before they’re launched. The last Android Canary build was released in December 2025 and Google has already launched its first build of 2026.
The January 2026 Android Canary build, codenamed Android Canary 2601 , has the version number ZP11.251212.007. This new Android Canary build could bring Quick Share/AirDrop integration to the Pixel 9 series. It was last two months, in November, that Google first let Pixel 10 phones send files to iPhones via Quick Share.
There are still other changes in this Android Canary build. The brightness icon in the brightness slider is now more rounded. Also, the system settings menu has distinct categories unlike a list of settings like before. Furthermore, the Circle to Search toggle is accessible from this system settings menu. You don’t have to go through the process of tapping Settings, heading over to System and clicking Navigation mode.
Regarding availability, the January 2026 Canary build is currently available on the Pixel 6a and newer, the Pixel 6 series and higher, the Pixel Fold and newer, the Pixel Tablet, and GSI. If you have a previous Canary build, you’ll receive a notification to update over-the-air. Otherwise, you’ll have to use the Android Flash Tool to get access on your Pixel device.
Android Canary builds are meant for your secondary devices and not your primary smartphone. Since these builds are early previews, they usually contain bugs and unfinished features. Remember to back up your data before giving it a try.
Author:Obiajulum Ndubuisi
Obiajulum is a tech enthusiast passionate about writing. When she isn’t writing about gadgets, she will probably be playing badminton, watching a movie, or surfing the internet.
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The Android 17 release is on the horizon, and it could come with new features like a long-awaited native App Lock solution . We had a general idea of how this rumoured feature will work, but it still left out a few unknowns, such as how the feature would handle incoming notifications from locked apps. The Android Canary 2601 release clarifies that.
This new Android Canary build includes strings that indicate how App Lock would handle notifications from locked apps (via Android Authority):
The strings show that locked apps will still receive visible notifications, but the notification content will not be visible.
An example is a user who locked the Google Messages app with App Lock. If they receive a message, they will only see a “New message” notification in their notification bar and not a notification with the message contents. If it isn’t a messaging notification, the text will change to “New notification” without showing what the notification is.
We’re not clear on if the name of the app and its icon will be visible. It will probably display the name of the app and its icon, since that’s the way the user will know which app gets the notification.
When Google launches the feature, we’ll know exactly how this works. For now, this is what we’ve heard.
Author:Obiajulum Ndubuisi
Obiajulum is a tech enthusiast passionate about writing. When she isn’t writing about gadgets, she will probably be playing badminton, watching a movie, or surfing the internet.
