Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. News

Android 17 makes your internet controls way less frustrating

Google is splitting Wi-Fi and mobile data in Quick Settings, and it should save you extra taps.

Add as a preferred source on Google
Android 17 logo.
Google

Android 17 is fixing one of the most irritating parts of using your phone, its internet controls. If you’ve ever tried to switch off Wi-Fi quickly and got pulled into an extra menu instead, this update is aimed right at that moment.

In Android 17 Beta 3, Google is changing how those toggles work in Quick Settings. Instead of grouping everything under a single tile, the system now separates Wi-Fi and mobile data, so you can manage each one without going through another screen.

Recommended Videos

It’s a small interface tweak, but it clears up a long-standing usability issue that’s been slowing people down for years.

A small change with real impact

This update reverses the combined “Internet” tile introduced a few Android versions ago. That design forced an extra step every time you wanted to toggle Wi-Fi or mobile data, even for routine actions.

With Android 17 Beta 3, both options return as separate tiles. You can switch off Wi-Fi directly from Quick Settings without touching mobile data, or turn off mobile data without opening a second panel.

The result feels more straightforward, especially for something users interact with multiple times a day.

Why this matters day to day

This adjustment lands in a place where small delays add up quickly. Whether you’re trying to conserve battery, troubleshoot a connection, or jump between networks, that extra layer made simple actions feel unnecessarily drawn out.

The previous setup interrupted quick decisions by adding a pause and an extra tap. Even something as basic as turning Wi-Fi off before heading out required more effort than it should have.

By separating the controls again, Android 17 brings Quick Settings closer to what it’s supposed to be, a fast, reliable control panel you can act on instantly without thinking twice.

When you can expect it

Right now, this change is part of Android 17 Beta 3, so it’s still limited to supported devices in testing. Wider availability will depend on when manufacturers roll out the final version.

Still, changes like this usually stick once they appear in later beta builds. That makes it likely you’ll see this layout in the full release.

When Android 17 arrives on your device, managing Wi-Fi and mobile data should feel simpler again, with fewer interruptions between you and the setting you want.

Paulo Vargas
Paulo Vargas is an English major turned reporter turned technical writer, with a career that has always circled back to…
Xteink X4 review: I doubted this tiny e-reader, but it fixed my poor screen habits
What can a card-sized e-reader add to your life? Reading bliss, if you ask me.
Xteink X4 ereader in black.

View at Xteink

Quick Review

Read more
Ever wonder what data your iPhone apps are harvesting? This app exposes it all in detail
This iPhone app shows the creepy data your apps can quietly read
Apple iPhone in Hand Use

Apple heavily advertises privacy for its products, like the iPhone. These are usually one of the big talking points in their announcements, which makes your iPhone feel pretty locked down. This is true until you see how much ordinary device data apps can quietly read.

Security research team Mysk has launched Loupe: What Apps Can See, a free iOS app designed to show users what information third-party apps can access through public iOS APIs. The app is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, listed under Developer Tools, and requires iOS 17 or later.

Read more
What if Pokémon Go were real life? This app lets you log every animal you see in the real world
Spot it, snap it, collect it. Your neighborhood just became a creature index.
Gotcha app on iPhone

Pokémon Go became all the rage when it launched, as it fulfilled one of our childhood promises,You've "Gotta catch 'em all!." At its peak, that game had a monthly player base of about 200 million, which is astounding. 

Now, a new iOS app called Gotcha wants to do the same, with the difference being that you are catching real animals instead of Pokémon. The concept is simple and addictive. You point your phone at any creature, be it a pigeon or stray cat, and Gotcha cuts it out from the background, identifies what it is, and adds it to your personal collection. 

Read more