Android Canary 2609 arrives with lockable Quick Settings

Google just closed the door on one chapter of Android early access testing, as we finally got the stable release of Android 17 QPR1 yesterday. But that’s just one corner of the multi-faceted testing program, and today we see Google making fresh progress in another direction, as we get our hands on the very latest Android Canary build.

It’s been a little over a month now since the release of the August Canary, but Google’s now ready to share September’s Android Canary 2609.

While the announcement over on Reddit’s Android Canary sub doesn’t offer much detail, only identifying this as build ZP11.260821.010, Google’s Mishaal Rahman drops a little more insight on X, confirming the arrival of a change we spotted in development last month, with the ability to restrict access to Quick Settings tiles from the lock screen.

Just like other recent Android previews, this one’s not available for the full Pixel 6 family, with the base model and Pro now left behind, and only the Pixel 6a still eligible. It also tops out at the Pixel 10 series, with builds not yet available for new Pixel 11 phones. We’ve had some problems grabbing Google’s Canary downloads, so you might want to try again a little later today if you similarly run into trouble.

Pixel users interested in getting started with Android Canary testing (and are comfortable with all the uncertainty that goes with it) can install the Canary 2609 release though Google’s online Android Flash Tool after backing up their critical data.