Android 17 could take a page from Liquid Glass, and here's a close look

Google already offers some subtle blur and translucency effects in Android 16, but a recent leak suggests the company could up the ante with Android 17. Now, we have obtained images showing Android 17’s increased blur effects.

MysticLeaks on Telegram posted and then quickly deleted images apparently showing an internal build of Android 17. These images purportedly showed blur effects in almost every part of the UI. We weren’t able to view these screenshots at the time, but Telegram user @jspirit has obtained their own images of these translucency effects and shared them with us.

The images reveal blur effects in the volume menu and volume bar in particular, apparently showing light and dark themes. By contrast, Android 16’s Material 3 Expressive design offers translucency in the notification shade, quick settings menu, the lock screen, and app drawer. So Google is clearly building on a strong foundation of translucency.

These aren’t the only screens showing off blur in Android 17. Telegram user @romashka also shared screenshots of translucency effects in Android 17. These images show off blur in the power menu and give us a better idea of what to expect in the volume bar and volume menu.

It’s worth noting that all these screenshots come from a work-in-progress Android 17 build, so it’s possible these blur effects and other UI elements could change between now and subsequent releases.

In any event, this all suggests that Google could more tightly embrace blur in 2026. So if you’re tired of Apple and other Android OEMs offering translucency effects, you might be disappointed with Android 17. Nevertheless, Material 3 Expressive still stands out as a refreshing UI, so I hope Android 17 still retains that unique look and feel.