Android 17 has reached only 1% of active Android devices since its June 2026 release, according to the latest data from heise.de via Android Studio, as reported by Android Authority and cited by ZDNET.
Android 16 leads at 25.4% of active devices. Android 14 is the second most widely used version at 15.% of devices, and Android 15 is at 14.7%. The source says about 40% of devices have not upgraded to Android 14 or later.
The source attributes the slow uptake partly to Android's fragmented update process. Updates must pass from Google to manufacturers such as Samsung, Google, and Nothing, and each typically adapts them for its devices. The source contrasts this with Apple, where updates reach users without a middle entity.
The source notes that Google no longer publishes a regularly updated public distribution chart. The figures come from cumulative Android Studio data and estimate devices that contacted the Google Play Store over a seven-day period, so they are not a real-time census of all Android devices.
The article recommends that eligible users install Android 17, citing features such as app bubbling and protections against network snoops and SMS blasters, as well as security and performance improvements.