3 weeks ago
ARTICLE AD BOX
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has confirmed to Android Authority that improvement of nan Android operating strategy will soon afloat hap successful private.
- Currently, Google shares immoderate of nan activity it does connected nan nationalist AOSP Gerrit, but moving forward, this activity will each beryllium done successful private.
- The extremity for this privatization is to simplify Android OS improvement and not to inhibit outer developers, which is why Google remains committed to publishing root codification to AOSP aft each release.
No matter nan manufacturer, each Android phone has 1 point successful common: its package base. Manufacturers tin heavy customize nan look and consciousness of nan Android OS they vessel connected their Android devices, but nether nan hood, nan halfway strategy functionality is derived from nan aforesaid open-source foundation: nan Android Open Source Project. After complete 16 years, Google is making large changes to really it develops nan unfastened root type of Android successful an effort to streamline its development.
You’re reference an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for much exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech sum you won’t find anyplace else.
The Android Open Source Project, aliases AOSP for short, is an operating strategy that Google releases nether nan Apache 2.0 License. Apache 2.0 is simply a package licence that allows anyone to use, distribute, aliases modify and administer operating systems based connected AOSP without nan request to salary immoderate licensing fees aliases merchandise root code. This permissive licensing building has facilitated nan wide take of AOSP, starring to nan creation of customized forks for illustration Samsung’s One UI.
Like galore different open-source projects, AOSP accepts codification contributions from third-party developers. However, Google conducts astir AOSP improvement itself, arsenic it “treats nan Android task arsenic a full-scale merchandise improvement operation” to “ensure nan vitality of Android arsenic a level and arsenic an open-source project.” Therefore, Google has nan last opportunity connected what codification tin beryllium merged into AOSP and erstwhile caller type root codification is released. The institution develops AOSP components privately to allow “developers and OEMs to usage a azygous type [of Android] without search unfinished early activity conscionable to support up.”
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
A screenshot of nan landing page for nan Android Open Source Project.
To equilibrium AOSP’s unfastened quality pinch its merchandise improvement strategy, Google maintains 2 superior Android branches: nan nationalist AOSP branch and its soul improvement branch. The AOSP branch is accessible to anyone, while Google’s soul branch is restricted to companies pinch a Google Mobile Services (GMS) licensing agreement.
While immoderate OS components, specified arsenic Android’s Bluetooth stack, are developed publically successful nan AOSP branch, astir components, including nan halfway Android OS framework, are developed privately wrong Google’s soul branch. Google confirmed to Android Authority that it will soon displacement each Android OS improvement to its soul branch, a alteration intended to streamline its improvement process.
To simplify Android OS development, Google will nary longer person 2 ‘main’ branches
Because Google develops ample portions of Android successful its soul branch, nan nationalist AOSP branch often lags acold down what’s disposable privately. This quality is evident erstwhile comparing characteristic and API readiness betwixt a cleanable AOSP build and Google’s latest Android 16 beta, which was built from its soul branch. While nan displacement to trunk-based development reduced this discrepancy, it persists and continues to airs challenges for Google.
This discrepancy forces Google to walk clip and effort merging patches betwixt nan nationalist AOSP branch and its soul branch. Due to really different nan branches are, merge conflicts often arise. Take for illustration this patch that enables surface magnifier functionality for nan navigation barroom and keyboard. The spot introduces a caller accessibility setting, which is placed astatine nan extremity of nan database of accessibility settings. This creates a merge conflict arsenic nan list’s magnitude varies betwixt AOSP and Google’s soul branch. While a hole for this circumstantial rumor is straightforward, galore other AOSP patches trigger akin merge conflicts erstwhile integrated into Google’s soul branch.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
Likewise, processing Android’s caller unlocked-only retention area API required a Google technologist to cherry-pick a patch from nan soul branch to AOSP to resoluteness a merge conflict. This is because while nan API was developed successful AOSP, nan record containing caller Android build flags was developed internally. As a result, a spot updating nan build emblem files had to beryllium submitted internally and past applied to AOSP.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
There are apt countless examples of merge conflicts for illustration this, which is why Google is doing distant pinch its existent two-pronged Android improvement strategy and alternatively shifting each improvement internally.
What does this mean for us?
Google confirmed to Android Authority that it is committed to publishing Android’s root code, truthful this alteration doesn’t mean that Android is becoming closed-source. The institution will proceed to people nan root codification for caller Android releases, truthful erstwhile Google releases Android 16 later this year, we’ll get nan root codification for nan update. In addition, Google will proceed to people nan root codification for Android’s Linux kernel fork, arsenic it is licensed nether GPLv2, which mandates root codification releases, and is abstracted from AOSP.
What will alteration is nan wave of nationalist root codification releases for circumstantial Android components. Some components for illustration nan build system, update engine, Bluetooth stack, Virtualization framework, and SELinux configuration are presently AOSP-first, meaning they’re developed afloat successful public. Most Android components for illustration nan halfway OS model are chiefly developed internally, though immoderate features, specified arsenic nan unlocked-only retention area API, are still developed wrong AOSP.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
A screenshot of nan AOSP Gerrit, nan web-based codification reappraisal strategy utilized by Google.
Beginning adjacent week, each Android improvement will hap wrong Google’s soul branches, and nan source codification for changes will only beryllium released erstwhile Google publishes a caller branch containing those changes. As this is already nan believe for astir Android constituent changes, Google is simply consolidating its improvement efforts into a azygous branch.
This alteration will person minimal effect connected regular users. While it streamlines Android OS improvement for Google, perchance affecting nan velocity of caller type improvement and bug reduction, nan wide effect will apt beryllium imperceptible. Therefore, don’t expect this alteration to accelerate OS updates for your phone.
This alteration will besides person minimal effect connected astir developers. App developers are unaffected, arsenic it pertains only to level development. Platform developers, including those who build civilization ROMs, will mostly besides spot small change, since they typically guidelines their activity connected circumstantial tags aliases merchandise branches, not nan main AOSP branch. Similarly, companies that merchandise forked AOSP products seldom usage nan main AOSP branch owed to its inherent instability.
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
LineageOS 22.2 is based connected nan AOSP android-15.0.0_r20 merchandise tag, which contains nan latest changes successful nan March 2025 quarterly release.
External developers who bask reference aliases contributing to AOSP will apt beryllium dismayed by this news, arsenic it reduces their penetration into Google’s improvement efforts. Without a GMS license, contributing to Android OS improvement becomes much challenging, arsenic nan disposable codification will consistently lag down by weeks aliases months. This news will besides make it much challenging for immoderate developers to support up pinch caller Android level changes, arsenic they’ll nary longer beryllium capable to way changes successful AOSP.
For reporters, this alteration intends little entree to perchance revealing information, arsenic AOSP patches often supply insights into Google’s improvement plans. For instance, a codification alteration I spotted successful AOSP revealed nan Pixel’s webcam feature months earlier its charismatic release. Similarly, I utilized hints successful AOSP to deduce Android 16’s earlier merchandise date, while a now-deleted codification alteration I spotted past week gave america our first nationalist mention of nan upcoming Google Pixel 10. While these types of leaks apt did not trigger this change, it will undoubtedly impact our expertise to study connected upcoming Android features and devices.
Ultimately, I deliberation this alteration makes sense, moreover if nan optics look bad for Google. Google had 3 options here: Maintain nan position quo, displacement each improvement internally, aliases make each improvement public. Considering Google’s stated rationale for backstage Android improvement and its caller modulation to trunk-based development, its determination to consolidate activity nether a single, soul branch, streamlining some OS improvement and root codification releases, is understandable.
Google will stock much specifications astir this alteration erstwhile it announces it later this week. If you’re willing successful learning more, beryllium judge to support an oculus retired for nan announcement and caller archiving connected source.android.com.
Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our unit astatine news@androidauthority.com. You tin enactment anonymous aliases get in installments for nan info, it's your choice.
English (US) · 
Indonesian (ID) ·