Google Will Now Keep Android Development A Secret

Google plans to move each improvement of Android OS down closed doors truthful that nan process will nary longer beryllium visible to nan public. This alteration is simply a large displacement for Android, which has agelong allowed developers -- and anyone, really -- to peek down nan curtain. 

Also: The champion Android phones to buy

But don't interest -- nan mean personification won't announcement a difference. Here's what's going on, why it's happening, and really it will impact you.

What's changing pinch Android?

Until now, Google has been processing Android successful 2 main branches: a backstage soul branch and a nationalist 1 called AOSP (Android Open Source Project). AOSP allowed anyone to spot and lend to Android's development, but Google's soul squad did astir of nan activity down nan scenes. AOSP's nationalist branch would often lag down nan backstage branch, meaning caller features and updates were visible to developers overmuch later than they were successful nan backstage type of Android.

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Now, Google has confirmed to Android Authority it will move each Android improvement into its soul backstage branch. The nationalist branch will still person nan last product, but nary caller updates will beryllium shown until they're fresh to beryllium officially released. This will thief Google streamline nan improvement process and debar issues that originate from trying to merge nan abstracted branches.

Why is Google doing this?

The main logic down this displacement is to make Android improvement much efficient. Right now, Google has to walk a batch of clip and effort merging nan nationalist AOSP codification pinch nan backstage one. By consolidating everything into a azygous branch, Google intends to velocity up improvement and trim imaginable mistakes. To beryllium clear, this alteration is not astir making Android closed-source; Google will still merchandise nan root codification erstwhile caller versions of Android are ready. It conscionable won't show advancement successful existent clip for illustration it erstwhile did.

Will you announcement thing different?

Probably not. For astir Android users, this alteration won't effect your day-to-day experience. How Android updates are rolled retired to phones won't change, and apps will still beryllium developed and updated arsenic usual. The only existent quality is that Android diehards and developers won't beryllium capable to spot nan improvement process arsenic easily, astatine slightest not until caller updates are fresh for release.

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Developers and tech reporters will apt beryllium nan astir affected. Developers who build civilization Android versions aliases activity pinch AOSP whitethorn find it harder to enactment connected apical of caller changes, arsenic they won't beryllium capable to way nan improvement arsenic intimately arsenic before. Tech reporters, too, will miss nan behind-the-scenes leaks from AOSP that often hint astatine upcoming features aliases devices. For example, nan quality of "Pixel 10" successful AOSP codification was a caller leak that gave america a glimpse into Google's early plans.

When is this alteration happening?

This displacement will reportedly hap starting adjacent week, pinch an charismatic announcement from Google expected later this week. From past on, each Android OS improvement will beryllium private, and nan nationalist will only spot nan root codification erstwhile it's released.

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