- AOSP source code to be shared with developers in Q2 and Q4, skipping Q1 and Q3 for the first time
- Security fixes and other updates will still be published
- Google says the changes will improve stability and security
Google is set to halve the frequency with which Android source code is released in a major overhaul after nearly two decades of quarterly releases.
Starting in 2026, the company will only release Android Open Source Project (AOSP) source code details twice a year in the second and fourth quarters.
The popular smartphone and tablet operating system will still be updated four times a year, but only two of the updates will have public AOSP releases – a major update in Q2 and a minor one in Q4.
AOSP source code should be released twice a year, not four times
The Android Open Source Project, built and released 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 host Google. They also face reduced source code sharing requirements because it is covered by Google in the project.
Reducing the frequency is set to improve the stability of the platform. “Effective in 2026, to align with our trunk stable development model and ensure platform stability for the ecosystem, we will release source code for AOSP in Q2 and Q4,” reads a banner on the project’s website.
Regular security fixes remain unaffected as they proceed via a dedicated security-only branch. Quarterly AOSP updates and continuous development of the operating system will continue as usual – Google will just reduce how often it actually shares the source code.
Separately, a Google spokesperson said Android Authority that biannual releases will help Google “deliver more stable and secure code to Android platform developers” while reducing complexity.
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