Android OS development is going fully private, but Google still wants help from other developers

Earlier this week, we broke the news that Google will soon develop the Android OS fully in private. Currently, Google develops some Android OS components, such as the Bluetooth stack, in public, but the company is shifting all work to its internal branch in an effort to streamline its development process. The move has little effect on end users or app developers, but it does impact the workflow of platform developers, especially those without ties to one of Google’s OEM partners. Thankfully, Google has confirmed that the Android team will continue to accept code contributions from external developers, and it has also shed light on other changes that are being made in response to this news.

First, Google has confirmed to Android Authority that platform developers will still be able to submit patches to the public Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Gerrit, the web-based code review system used by Google for AOSP development. Developers who work for a company with a Google Mobile Services (GMS) license can submit patches through the partner Gerrit, which is not available to the public. In either case, these patches will be reviewed by Google engineers, and if accepted, will be cherrypicked and merged into the company’s internal branch of Android for inclusion in a future release.