In a surprising yet calculated move, Google has confirmed it’s about to shift all Android development behind the scenes — a change that marks the end of an era for the open-source community that helped shape the world’s most popular mobile operating system.
Starting next week, Android will be developed entirely on Google’s internal branches, a stark contrast to the hybrid model the company has relied on for nearly 16 years. But before anyone hits the panic button, here’s the good news: Android will remain open source. The company has reassured developers and users alike that the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) isn’t going anywhere.
“We remain committed to Android as an open-source project,” a Google spokesperson told Android Authority. “This shift is about streamlining development, not about cutting anyone out.”
Why Google Is Making This Move Now
For years, Android development has followed a dual-track approach: part of it happened publicly on the AOSP Gerrit, while the rest quietly took place behind closed doors at Google HQ. According to the company, that split system was causing more problems than it was solving.
The main issue? The public AOSP branch often lagged behind Google’s internal work. That meant new features, security patches, and bug fixes were slower to roll out publicly — not ideal in an era where smartphones are updated faster than ever.
By consolidating all development in-house, Google hopes to eliminate the friction caused by syncing code between the public and private branches.
“This two-track system was creating delays and bugs,” the company explained. “Merging code from two different branches led to errors that slowed everything down.”
Will Android Still Be Open Source?
Absolutely — but with a catch.
The AOSP codebase will still be updated, but only when Google is ready to release a new version. In other words, don’t expect real-time access to every line of Android development anymore. While this won’t matter much to everyday users, it does represent a shift in how developers interact with the platform.
Key components like the build system, update engine, Bluetooth stack, SELinux configuration, and virtualization framework are being moved out of the public AOSP and into Google’s internal codebase. The public will get access to these parts only after they’ve been finalized and packaged into a new Android release.
“External contributors can still submit patches,” Google said, but the company will “retain full control over what gets merged” to preserve what it calls the “vitality” of Android as a platform.