Google plans to move all the development of the Android operating system behind closed doors so that the process is no longer visible for the public. This change is a big change for Android, which has long allowed developers – and anyone, really – to take a look behind the curtain.
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But don’t worry – the average person will not notice a difference. Here is what is going on, why it happens and how it will affect you.
What changes with Android?
So far, Google has developed Android in two main branches: a private internal branch and a public branch called AOSP (open source Android project). AOSP allowed anyone to see and contribute to the development of Android, but the internal team of Google did most of the work behind the scenes. The public branch of AOSP would often be lagging behind the private branch, which means that new features and updates were visible for developers much later than in the private version of Android.
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Now Google has confirmed Android authority It will move all the development of Android in its internal private branch. The public branch will always receive the final product, but no new update will be displayed until they are ready to be officially published. This will help Google rationalize the development process and avoid the problems that result in merging it to merge the distinct branches.
Why does Google do this?
The main reason for this change is to make the development of Android more efficient. Currently, Google must spend a lot of time and efforts to merge the Public AOSP code with the private code. By consolidating everything in a single branch, Google aims to accelerate development and reduce potential errors. To be clear, this change does not consist in making the Android closed source; Google will always publish the source code when the new versions of Android are ready. This will simply not show progress in real time as it did once.
Will you notice something different?
Probably not. For most Android users, this change will have no impact on your daily experience. The way Android updates are deployed on phones do not change, and applications will always be developed and updated as usual. The only real difference is that Android Purs Duhards and the developers will not be able to see the development process as easily, at least not before the new updates are ready to be published.
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Developers and technological journalists will probably be the most affected. Developers who build personalized Android versions or work with AOSP can find it more difficult to remain aware of new changes, as they will not be able to follow the development as closely as before. Technological journalists will also miss the behind the scenes of AOSP which often alludes to the functionalities or devices to come. For example, the appearance of “Pixel 10“In the AOSP code, there was a recent flight which gave us an overview of the future plans of Google.
When does this change occur?
This quarter work would take place from next week, with an official Google announcement later expected this week. From this moment, all the development of Android OS will be deprived, and the public will only see the source code when it is published.
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