Google deploys support for Encrypted Client Hello on Android 17

Google has added platform-wide support for Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) in Android 17, making it the first major mobile OS to encrypt the destination hostname from the start, so ISPs only see the CDN and traffic volume. ECH does not hide DNS queries or the user’s IP address, which still require encrypted DNS or a VPN for full privacy. Google also introduced a zero-click carrier option to disable 2G by default, mitigating SMS-based spam attacks.