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In a nutshell: Google has confirmed that it will now develop Android privately as part of its efforts to streamline the development process. However, the company has assured users and developers that the operating system will remain open source, and it will continue to release the source code for new Android versions.
Google told Android Authority that it will move all Android development to its internal branches next week, marking a significant shift from the system that has been in place for nearly 16 years. Currently, part of the development occurs on the public AOSP Gerrit, while the rest is done privately.
While the AOSP branch remains accessible to everyone, Google’s internal branch is available only to companies with a Google Mobile Services licensing agreement. AOSP is open source, whereas GMS is not. Instead, Google licenses GMS to device manufacturers for free, provided they adhere to specific terms and conditions. Some of the companies with a GMS agreement include Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus.
According to Google, its current two-pronged development approach creates challenges for both the company and its partners. Development on AOSP Gerrit often lags behind Google’s internal branch, leading to delays in rolling out new features, fixing bugs, and addressing security vulnerabilities. Additionally, merging code between the two branches reportedly introduces errors – a problem the new policy aims to resolve.
Google asserts that the change is not intended to hinder third-party developers but rather to streamline the development process. The company maintains that it will continue accepting code contributions to AOSP from external developers while retaining full control over what is merged to ensure “the vitality of Android as a platform and as an open-source project.”
As Android Authority notes, components such as the build system, update engine, Bluetooth stack, virtualization framework, and SELinux configuration are currently developed as part of the AOSP stack. However, starting next week, these will move to Google’s internal branches. As a result, the source code for these components will only be released when Google publishes a new branch containing the changes.
For end users, the policy shift is unlikely to have any noticeable impact. However, developers may face some inconvenience due to fewer public source code releases for certain Android components. That said, Android updates should remain unaffected, as most manufacturers with a GMS agreement will continue to have uninterrupted access to Google’s internal branch.
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