Google’s Android operating system has long been lauded as a beacon of open-source collaboration. However, recent years have witnessed a shift in Google’s development approach, leading to a seemingly paradoxical situation: Android development becoming increasingly private, while the project remains fundamentally open source.

This shift raises questions about transparency, community involvement, and the future of Android’s open nature. How can a project be both privately developed and publicly open?

The AOSP Foundation: Openness at its Core

Android’s open-source nature is rooted in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). This repository contains the core Android operating system, freely available for anyone to download, modify, and distribute. This openness has fostered a vibrant ecosystem of developers, device manufacturers, and custom ROM creators, contributing to Android’s widespread adoption.

The Rise of Private Development:

However, Google’s internal development of Android has become increasingly centralized and private. This is manifested in several ways:

• Closed-door development of key features: Google often develops major Android features and updates internally before releasing them to AOSP. This allows them to control the direction of the platform and ensure a consistent user experience on Pixel devices.
• Delayed AOSP releases: The latest Android source code is often released to AOSP after Google has already rolled out updates to its Pixel devices. This delay limits the ability of other manufacturers and developers to quickly integrate new features.
• Increased reliance on Google Play Services: Core functionalities like location services, push notifications, and app updates are handled by Google Play Services, a proprietary component that is not part of AOSP. This gives Google significant control over the Android experience.
• Focus on Project Mainline: Project Mainline, while providing security updates through the play store, increases the separation of core android functionality from AOSP.

The Rationale Behind Private Development

Google’s rationale for this approach is multifaceted:

• Ensuring platform consistency: By controlling the development of key features, Google aims to provide a uniform and high-quality user experience across Android devices, particularly on its own Pixel line.
• Enhancing security: Centralized development allows Google to quickly address security vulnerabilities and roll out updates, protecting users from potential threats.
• Driving innovation: Developing features in-house allows Google to experiment and innovate without the constraints of public collaboration.
• Commercial benefits: Google is a business. Controlling the development allows it to provide features and services that encourage the use of google services, and thus, increase revenue.

The Implications for Open Source

While Android remains technically open source, the shift towards private development has raised concerns:

• Reduced community influence: The delayed AOSP releases and closed-door development limit the ability of the open-source community to contribute to the platform’s evolution.
• Fragmentation concerns: While google tries to reduce this, the separation of google play services from AOSP leads to a fragmentation between AOSP android, and the google services enriched android.
• Potential for vendor lock-in: The reliance on Google Play Services can create a dependency on Google’s proprietary ecosystem, potentially hindering device manufacturers and developers who wish to create alternative Android distributions.
• Transparency issues: The increased privacy of development can lead to a lack of transparency, making it difficult for the community to understand the rationale behind certain design decisions.

The Balancing Act:

Google faces a delicate balancing act: maintaining the benefits of open source while ensuring platform consistency and driving innovation. The company’s strategy suggests a move towards a “controlled open source” model, where it retains significant control over the platform’s direction while still allowing for community contributions.

The future of Android’s open-source nature will depend on how Google navigates this balancing act. Whether the community can adapt to this new model, and whether Google will continue to provide meaningful contributions to AOSP, remains to be seen.

Google has officially unveiled Android 15, the latest iteration of its popular mobile operating system. This new update promises to bring a host of exciting features and enhancements, designed to elevate the user experience and keep Android at the forefront of mobile technology.

As against earlier versions of Android, Google has deviated from the trend of launching Android 15 on the Pixel devices first. Initially, it is available to developers and beta users, with a broader rollout expected soon. The source code has been made available on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), allowing developers to dive into the new features and start optimizing their apps.

Key Features

• Satellite Connectivity Support: Android 15 extends platform support for satellite connectivity, ensuring users stay connected even in remote areas
• Auracast Audio Sharing: This feature allows users to share audio with nearby Bluetooth LE Audio streams, enhancing the sharing experience
• High-Quality Webcam Mode: Transform your Android device into a high-quality webcam, perfect for video calls and streaming
• Enhanced Foldable Support: Improved continuity features and better cover screen support for foldable devices
• Persistent Taskbar: For large-screen devices, Android 15 introduces a persistent taskbar, making multitasking more efficient
• Health Connect: A new feature that integrates health data from various apps, providing a comprehensive view of your health metrics
• User Experience Improvements: Android 15 brings several user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) improvements. These include a refined brightness slider, partial screen recording, and better optimization for edge-to-edge displays. The new notification cooldown feature helps manage notifications more effectively, reducing distractions
• Improved Performance and Battery Life: Google has optimized Android 15 to deliver smoother performance and extended battery life. This means you can enjoy a more responsive and efficient user experience, without worrying about your device running out of juice.

Release Date and Availability

While Google has not announced an exact release date for Android 15, it is expected to be available to the public later this year. Initially, the update will likely be rolled out to flagship devices from major manufacturers, followed by a wider rollout to other compatible devices.

Get started with Android 15

If you have a supported Pixel device, you will receive the public Android 15 over the air update when it becomes available. If you don’t want to wait, you can get the most recent quarterly platform release (QPR) beta by joining the Android 15 QPR beta program at any time.

In a move long awaited by Android users, Google has finally launched its revamped Find My Device network. This new feature offers a significant boost in lost device recovery, bringing Android closer to Apple’s “Find My” functionality.

During the Google IO 2023 event , Google had announced that it will soon be enhancing the find my device funcitonality of Android devices, so the device owner will be able to find the device, no matter it is online or even when the battery is dead. The Find My Device network ensures that location data is encrypted, so your info is for your eyes only.

Key Features of the New Find My Device:

• Find Lost Devices Even When Offline: Unlike previous iterations, the upgraded network can locate your missing Android device even if it doesn’t have an internet connection. This is achieved through Bluetooth proximity detection, similar to Apple’s system. With more Android devices out there, Google’s network has the potential to be even more powerful.
• Pixel 8 Gets Special Treatment: Owners of the latest Pixel phones, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, get an extra layer of security. Google has implemented “specialized hardware” that allows these devices to be tracked even when powered off.
• Proximity Alerts Guide You There: A new “Find Nearby” feature utilizes Bluetooth signals to give you real-time guidance as you approach your lost device. No more wandering around blindly – the closer you get, the stronger the signal.
• Track More Than Just Phones (Coming Soon): In May, Google plans to expand Find My Device to include compatibility with third-party Bluetooth tracker tags. This means you’ll be able to locate frequently misplaced items like keys, wallets, or luggage with ease. Additionally, these tags will work with a new “unknown tracker alert” system across both Android and iOS devices, offering an extra layer of security against unwanted tracking.

Security and Privacy Remain a Priority:

Google emphasizes that user privacy is paramount. The Find My Device network utilizes end-to-end encryption for location data and employs aggregated device location reporting to prevent individual user tracking.

This upgrade to Find My Device is a welcome addition for Android users, offering much-needed peace of mind and improved lost device recovery capabilities. With its vast user base and potential for future expansion, Google’s Find My Device network has the potential to become a major player in the lost item tracking landscape.

To keep iPhone users from being tracked without their knowledge using this new network, Google worked with Apple to create an industry specification that lets both ‌iPhone‌ and Android users get alerts about nearby unknown item trackers regardless of the brand of the tracking device. Google waited until Apple implemented support for third-party tracker alerts to launch its network, based on code found in iOS 17.5.

We have been tracking the development and release of Android 14 since its first developer preview. Today, the second Developer Preview of Android 14 gets released, building on the work of the first developer preview of Android 14 from last month with additional enhancements to privacy, security, performance, developer productivity, and user customization while continuing to refine the large-screen device experience on tablets, foldables, and more.

Android 14 – Upside Down Cake (unofficially named as Google has now moved away from naming Android based on confectionaries) is the next major release of Android. Android delivers enhancements and new features year-round and the reviews and feedback shared as part of the developer previews and Quarterly Platform Relase (QPR) Beta Programs get deliberated upon and integrated into the upcoming releases.

Support for all form factors

The biggest part of Android 14 is going to remain support for tablets and foldable form factors. With smartphone manufacturers going all in to see foldables as the next novel offering in the market, Android having built in support for the same only makes most sense.

Privacy and security

Privacy and security have always been a core part of Android’s mission. The new features included as part of Android 14 are Selected photos access, Credential manager and Safer implicit intents

Improved App Store Experiences

Android 14 introduces several new PackageInstaller APIs which allow app stores to improve their user experience, including the requestUserPreapproval() method that allows the download of APKs to be deferred until after the installation has been approved, the setRequestUpdateOwnership() method that allows an installer to indicate that it is responsible for future updates to an app it is installing, and the setDontKillApp() method that can seamlessly install optional features of an app through split APKs while the app is in use.

Personalization

Regional preferences enable users to personalize temperature units, the first day of the week, and numbering systems. A European living in the United States might prefer temperature units to be in Celsius rather than Fahrenheit and for apps to treat Monday as the beginning of the week instead of the US default of Sunday.

App compatibility

As with every major OS release, there would be some new features while there would also be some features/APIs that get deprecated. In Android 14 you now have a choice to opt-in to give you more time to make any necessary app changes.

The final developer preview or the most stable release for developers would now be expected sometime in June 2023.

Google has just released the first developer preview of Android 14, named the Upside Down Cake!

As we all know, Google has long discontinued the naming of Android versions (since Android 10). However, they do still continue to name them atleast for their internal use with the names of deserts, and thus comes the new desert – Upside Down Cake – a cake that is baked “upside-down” in a single pan, usually a skillet, with its toppings at the bottom of the pan!

As much as we would all be hoping to see as big a set of feature changes as an upside-down cake, atleast for the developers, luckily that is not the case!

It wasn’t too long ago that Android 13 started rolling out on the first set of Android devices, August 2022 to be precise. Today, Google has released the first developer preview of Android 14.

Android continues to deliver enhancements and new features year-round, and your Android 14 developer preview and Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) beta program feedback plays a key role in helping Android continuously improve. The Android 14 developer site has lots more information about the preview, including downloads for Pixel and the release timeline. We’re looking forward to hearing what you think, and thank you in advance for your continued help in making Android a platform that works for everyone.

Some of the prime features that Android 14 would be focusing on would be to continue to support tablets and foldable form factors, to help you build apps that adapt to different screen sizes and the further improvements in battery life.

As we install Android 14 on one of our own devices, we’ll get some more updates soon, along with a lots of screenshots! Stay tuned!

Designed by India’s premier institute, IIT Madras, funded by Indian Government, developed by JandK Operations Private Limited (JandKops), free and open-source, is getting an alternative to the most dominant mobile operating systems of Android and iOS.

An operating system, that boasts of complete privacy, with all the data sitting in the data centers in India. This is a good alternative to CCI‘s fine imposed on Google for their dominant position for over 100s of millions.

Android, as part of Google’s open source operating system, is forked out to BharOS.

Android, since version 10, has been supporting Modular System Components. This allows to expedite functional and security updates to the Android ecosystem outside of major API level releases and make new functionality backward compatible on already-released Android versions. End-user devices can receive updates to these modularized system components from the Google Play Store infrastructure or through a partner-provided over-the-air (OTA) mechanism.

With Android Extension SDKs, it is possible to extend the support of certain platform functionality to existing Android versions, increasing user reach.

For example, the PhotoPicker APIs previously available only on API level 33 (Android T) and above are now also available all the way back to API level 30 (Android R) through the Extension SDK on devices with an R extension version of at least 2.

The API reference pages for SDK Extension APIs specify the earliest SDK extension version that your app can use to access an API. If the documentation also specifies an Android platform version (referenced by API level), then that API is also available for all devices running that version of Android or higher.

After years, Google finally has brought in a major overhaul to its Android Auto infotainment system.

Android Auto has been around for almost a decade with ever growing acceptance amongst the users and car manufacturers alike. Simply connect your phone to your car display – your Android apps show up onscreen, just like that. Tap to get driving directions or talk to send a text. Even call your mum, hands-free. Also, because Android Auto is compatible with all major carmarkers, the split screen layout is also adaptable to different screen sizes, so it looks great whether your car has a widescreen, portrait or another size screen.

New Design

Now Android Auto, has a new experience that is rolling out to everyone. The new design prioritizes three important goals for drivers: navigating where you’re going, communicating with friends and family, and playing your music or podcasts.

Frequently accessed apps

In addition to the new design, it is now easier than ever to complete some of your most frequent needs in the car. Google Assistant now provides smart suggestions including missed call reminders, quick arrival time sharing and instant access to music or podcasts. On-screen shortcuts speed up message replies and calling favorite contacts.

WhatsApp calls

You can now make even WhatsApp calls, directly from your car’s mic and speakers, so you are no longer limited to only the regular network calls.

Share your digital car key with friends and family

You can already share your digital car key across Pixel and iPhone to make it easier to give trusted friends and family access to your car. Key sharing is coming soon to Samsung phones, and Xiaomi users.

And more…

• High-quality maps and navigation.
• The Waze app is now available on select Renault vehicles.
• Google’s new HD map is now available in select new cars with Google built-in, starting with the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3.
• Tubi and MGM+ already available to download on your car infotainment and Youtube is coming soon.
• Honda joins a growing list of brands offering cars with Google built-in that includes Volvo Cars, Polestar, Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Renault.

As the holiday season kicks in, Android has come up with some new features to spice up your holidays, as part of Android’s December 2022 features update! Some of them even can help you get in the spirit, too.

Have fun and express yourself with new artist-designed styles

With the last Google Photos update, a new feature was added as part of which you can create new Collages with a Styles to Collages editor. With the current holiday update, Google Photos brings unique designs from two new artists — Australian husband-and-wife visual duo DABSMYLA and renowned watercolor artist Yao Cheng Design. Just pick your photos, select your design and rearrange the layout with simple drag-and-drop controls.

Emoji kitchen has been cooking new emojis

Emoji Kitchen allows users to combine to different emoji to create a new one. Since you can combine to create new emoji, there are thousands of different combinations, which can add a bit of unexpected flair when having a conversation. The latest update adds new combinations, some of which are going to be perfect for winter and the holidays.

New reading mode

Android has been trying to get to the chanlleging ones and there comes one again… The new Reading mode on Android creates an accessible reading experience that can be helpful for people who are blind, low vision or dyslexic.

The reading mode obviously includes the ereader interface. Still hoping these tie up to get one standard reading format.

Sharing my car key… I would never!

Android digital car key app now has been added to a sharing interface! Other way to look… Its my car, why would I even want to share the key!

There are many more worthy mentions of the Android December 2022 features.

Google is raising the quality bar on Android apps, with sharing insights and notices to both, the developers as well as users. Quality of an app is as important to the end user as it should be to the developer, as that is what will get in the performance as well as good reviews.

One of the most important ways to boost your app quality and attract more users is to focus on technical quality. For this, the developers would need to follow a certain set of guidelines as well as receive insights from Play Store, in order to keep track of the usage and keep improving the app based on the metrics and feedback.

The starting point for maintaing the technical quality of the app should always be Android’s Core App Quality Checklist. Make your app experience as compelling, smooth, and safe as possible. Work through the tests on this page to assess your app’s visual experience, performance, security, and more.

The next pit stop in the journey to improve your app quality would be to keep monitoring Android Vitals in your Play Console.

Android Vitals reports on key user-impacting issues and helps you to debug and prioritize across them. It gives you a comprehensive understanding of your stability on Android with visibility of user-perceived crashes and ANRs (Application Not Responding errors), includes stack traces, event tags, and device information to help you understand and resolve problems as well as set up alerts so you can respond to new and emerging issues as quickly as possible.

To improve quality across the board, Google enforces an overall bad behavior threshold. The threshold is 1.09% for user-perceived crash rate, and 0.47% for user-perceived ANR rate. To maximize your app’s visibility on Google Play, it’s important to stay below these thresholds. If your title exceeds the device bad behavior threshold on any core vital for a given phone model, then Google Play may reduce the visibility of your app for users on that phone model and start showing a warning to the users downloading the app, below the Install button.

Users expect great experiences on their devices, and developers who deliver on their expectations will achieve greater success on Google Play!