- AOSP source code will be shared with developers in Q2 and Q4, skipping Q1 and Q3 for the first time.
- Security patches and other updates will continue to be released.
- Google says changes will improve stability and security
Google is set to halve the frequency with which it releases Android source code, in a major change after nearly two decades of quarterly releases.
Starting in 2026, the company will only publish Android Open Source Project (AOSP) source code details twice a year during the second and fourth quarters.
The popular operating system for smartphones and tablets will continue to be updated four times a year, but only two of the updates will have public AOSP releases: a major update in the second quarter and a minor one in the fourth quarter.
AOSP source code will be released twice a year, not four times
The Android Open Source Project, created and published by Google under the Apache 2.0 license, allows third-party developers to use, modify, and distribute their own versions of Android without having to pay Google. They also face reduced requirements for sharing source code, because that is covered by Google in the project.
The frequency reduction is designed to improve the stability of the platform. “Starting in 2026, to align with our stable backbone development model and ensure platform stability for the ecosystem, we will release source code to AOSP in the second and fourth quarters,” reads a banner on the project website.
Regular security patches will not be affected, as they will continue through a branch dedicated solely to security. Quarterly AOSP updates and ongoing development of the operating system will continue as normal: Google will simply reduce the frequency with which it shares source code.
On the other hand, a Google spokesperson said Android Authority that biannual releases would help Google “deliver more stable and secure code to Android platform developers,” while reducing complexity.
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