Highlights

• Google is moving all Android OS development to internal branches.
• The company is ending its traditional dual-branch approach with AOSP and internal development.
• While the Android OS remains open-source, contributing developers will need a Google Mobile Services (GMS) license.
• Custom ROM developers won’t be significantly affected.

Caption – Android OS to shift for private development process. (Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

Google is changing the way it develops Android OS and is shifting to a fully private development process, according to a new report. While Android has traditionally been developed on both a public and an internal branch, Google will now move all development to its internal branches.

The company will still publish source code for new Android releases, meaning this shift shouldn’t affect custom ROM developers or other platform developers. Here’s what we know so far.

Why Google Is Changing Android Development Process?

According to Android Authority, Google will start making this change as early as next week. Instead of working on both a public Android Open Source Project (AOSP) branch and an internal branch, development will now happen entirely behind closed doors.

In the past, the AOSP branch often lagged behind the internal one, leading to delays in new features and errors when merging patches between the two. To avoid these issues, even components like Bluetooth, which were previously developed in public, will now be handled privately.

Google confirmed these changes and assured that Android will remain open-source. It will continue to publish Android’s source code and the Android kernel (which is forked from the Linux kernel). However, developers who want to contribute to Android OS development will need a Google Mobile Services (GMS) license to work on the internal branch.

What This Means for Developers and Users?

For most users and app developers, nothing will change. Custom ROM developers like LineageOS rely on Google’s stable release tags, so they shouldn’t be affected either. However, news outlets that used to track Android updates through public AOSP patches will no longer have access to those early details.

While this move might make Android development more streamlined, it also makes the process less transparent, leaving many to wonder what this means for the future of open-source Android development.

FAQs

Q1. What change is Google making to Android OS development?

Answer. Google is shifting all Android OS development to internal branches, ending the dual-branch approach that included public AOSP development.

Q2. Will this change affect custom ROM developers?

Answer. No, custom ROM developers like LineageOS won’t be significantly affected since they rely on Google’s stable release tags.

Q3. What concerns does this new Android OS development process raise?

Answer. This move reduces public transparency into Android updates, leading to concerns about the future openness of Android’s development process.

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