Googlebooks have arrived with a major gap at the center of their launch: Samsung phones do not support Google’s “Better Together” features yet. That means even Samsung phones shipping with Android 17 cannot use the full connection between Googlebooks and compatible phones.
The missing support affects features that are meant to connect the laptop and phone experience. For early adopters, the result is a launch that feels incomplete, especially for people who expected a Samsung phone to work with a refreshed Google laptop from day one.
Samsung Phones Miss Googlebook Features at Launch
Googlebooks require Android 17, but the operating system alone does not guarantee access to every Googlebook feature. Google representatives confirmed that the “Better Together” features are not currently supported on even the latest Samsung phones, despite Samsung shipping with Android 17.
Features like Continue On remain limited to Google’s own phones for now. Google stated: “Features like Continue On will only work on Pixel phones right now.” That restriction gives Pixel phones a clear advantage at the start, while Samsung owners must wait for support to arrive.
The limitation has already frustrated some early Googlebook adopters. Phones like the Z Fold 8 will not work with the laptops at launch, leaving Samsung users without access to the features designed to connect their devices.
This creates a direct mismatch between the hardware people may already own and the laptop experience Google is presenting. Samsung phones meet the Android 17 requirement, yet they still cannot use the Better Together features that help define the Googlebook launch.
Support Is Coming, But the Timing Remains Open
Google representatives say an update that brings support to Samsung phones will roll out in “the coming weeks.” The update should expand access, but Samsung owners do not have support at launch, and the statement does not provide a specific date.
There is also an important condition attached to that future support: only Samsung phones with Android 17 will work with Googlebooks after the update. Samsung devices running an earlier Android version will not qualify under the stated requirement.
That makes Android 17 the key dividing line for Samsung users. Phones with the right version can wait for the update, while phones without Android 17 will remain outside the supported group even after Samsung support arrives.
The timing matters because Googlebooks launched before the wider Android phone landscape reached the same software point. Samsung is already shipping with Android 17, but other phone makers are taking different paths toward the requirement.
Android 17 Creates a Wider Compatibility Challenge
Motorola released its 2026 phones with Android 16, and those devices are still waiting on a final update to version 17. OnePlus is still testing Android 17, so its phones also do not offer a confirmed path to Googlebook support at this point.
Xiaomi has rolled out Android 17 to some high-end devices, but Googlebooks are not available in most of Xiaomi’s core markets. That limits the practical reach of the laptop even where the required phone software exists.
- Samsung phones with Android 17 are waiting for the Better Together update.
- Motorola’s 2026 phones launched with Android 16 and await a final update to Android 17.
- OnePlus is still testing Android 17.
- Xiaomi has Android 17 on some high-end devices, but Googlebooks are unavailable in most of its core markets.
- Pixel phones are the only phones that support features like Continue On right now.
The launch therefore depends on more than the Googlebook itself. Phone software, manufacturer updates, and market availability all shape whether the connected features work for a given user.
Launching Googlebooks without Samsung support, and not being clear about that, is not a great start for Google’s refreshed laptop effort. Samsung phones are a major part of the Android phone landscape, and their absence from the first wave makes the launch feel narrower than expected.
Google now has a clear next step: deliver Samsung support in the coming weeks and make the Android 17 requirement easy to understand. Until that update arrives, Pixel phones hold the only supported path to the complete Better Together experience, while Samsung owners wait for Googlebooks to become the connected laptops they expected.
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