Google officially announced the termination of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP)
Google Terminates Android Open Source Project AOSP: Developer Survival Guide in the Face of Major Changes in the Mobile Ecosystem
——From open-source collaboration to closed-source monopoly, the Android ecosystem is experiencing a historic turning point.
[Breaking News] Google announces the end of AOSP maintenance, marking the beginning of a closed-source era for Android development
On March 27, 2025, Google officially confirmed that it will terminate the public maintenance of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), and all future Android system development work will be conducted internally in a closed manner. This decision marks a complete shift of the Android ecosystem from "open collaboration" to "Google's sole control." According to the official statement, the public code repository, continuous integration tools (CI/CD), and code collaboration platforms (such as Android Gerrit) of AOSP will be gradually shut down, and external developers and manufacturers will no longer be able to participate in the submission and updates of core code.
What does the end of AOSP mean?
As the "bare-bones" foundational framework of the Android system, AOSP was once the core support for customized systems such as Xiaomi's HyperOS, Samsung's One UI, and OPPO's ColorOS. Its open-source nature allowed developers to freely modify the code and build differentiated features. However, with Google shutting down public branches, third-party ROM development based on AOSP (such as LineageOS) will lose the ability to continuously update, and may ultimately perish due to a technological gap.
[In-depth Analysis] Why did Google "kill the donkey after grinding the mill"? Costs, control, and business calculations
Google's decision to close its source code is interpreted as a manifestation of multiple strategic intentions:
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The urgent need for cost reduction: The multi-branch code management and global collaboration of AOSP consume a large amount of Google's resources. According to insiders, the Android department initiated a "voluntary resignation plan" for employees at the beginning of 2025, and closing the source of AOSP can reduce code maintenance costs and labor expenses.
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Strengthening ecological control rights: By closing the source, Google has brought Android development in-house and further tied it to the GMS (Google Mobile Services) licensing agreement. This move can force mobile phone manufacturers to rely more on Google services, thereby increasing advertising and app store revenue.
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Pixel device-first strategy: After closing the source, Google can prioritize new features for its own Pixel series, weakening the system update speed of other manufacturers and indirectly increasing the market share of Pixel.
[Industry Shock] Developers are hit hardest, and the HarmonyOS ecosystem may be the biggest winner
Although Google claims to have "cooperation guarantees with mainstream manufacturers," the ripple effects of AOSP's closed-source nature are becoming apparent:
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Third-party ROM developers face a survival crisis.
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Individual developers and small teams will lose the ability to modify the underlying system, making it impossible for them to fix vulnerabilities or adapt to new hardware. Once popular projects like LineageOS and CopperheadOS may be phased out due to code stagnation.
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User Impact: Flashing enthusiasts will lose the option to customize their systems, and the cost of device lifecycle management will increase.
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Small and medium-sized mobile phone manufacturers are caught in a dilemma.
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Although large manufacturers such as Xiaomi and OPPO are temporarily safe with their self-developed systems (such as Surge OS), small and medium-sized brands that rely on AOSP (such as OnePlus and realme) may face delayed system updates and be forced to turn to Google's "Pixelization" solution.
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The Rise of HarmonyOS: Huawei's HarmonyOS has significantly increased in value due to the AOSP closed-source incident. Analysts predict that by the end of 2025, HarmonyOS's global market share may exceed 12%, becoming an alternative option after Android becomes closed-source.
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The collective condemnation of the open-source community
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The tech community criticized Google for violating the spirit of open source, while the FSF (Free Software Foundation) warned that this move would exacerbate Android fragmentation and lead to delayed security vulnerability fixes.
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Legal Dispute: Google still needs to comply with the GPL agreement and open-source the Linux kernel code, but other components (such as system services) may be completely closed source, leading to compatibility disputes.
[Future Vision] Android Ecosystem Fragmentation and Developers' "Breakthrough Path"
Google's closed-source strategy will reshape the mobile internet landscape, and developers need to prepare for three major trends in advance:
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System ecology "semi-closure"
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Leading manufacturers are accelerating the iteration of their self-developed systems (such as Samsung's One UI 7.0 and ColorOS 15), creating a hybrid ecosystem of "Google standards + manufacturer customization," further squeezing the adaptation space for small and medium-sized developers.
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Development costs are skyrocketing.
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Code closure forces developers to rely on vendor-provided SDKs and testing devices, potentially causing independent developers to exit the market due to insufficient resources, exacerbating industry monopolies.
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The "Substitution Competition" between HarmonyOS and Android
[How to Adapt] How can developers survive in the midst of drastic changes?
Google's decision to terminate AOSP is essentially a victory of "technological capitalism" - open-source ideals giving way to commercial interests. For developers, adapting to the survival rules of the closed-source era includes:
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Embrace the manufacturer ecosystem: Collaborate with leading brands to obtain priority development resources.
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Focus on alternative systems: explore opportunities in emerging platforms such as HarmonyOS and Ubuntu Touch;
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Focus on application layer innovation: reduce dependence on the system's underlying layers and shift towards cross-platform development frameworks (such as Flutter).
[Conclusion] A carefully calculated game
Google's decision to close AOSP reflects that the mobile market has entered a mature stage where control takes precedence over collaboration. Although it may alienate the developer community and invite regulatory pressure, the company's control over the Android ecosystem has reached an unprecedented level. For the open-source community, this serves as a warning - corporate dominance in the governance of public projects is inherently fragile.
As Xiaomi's CTO said, "The era of customization is evolving, not ending." However, for countless developers who have built their careers on the openness of Android, this evolution feels more like a kind of extinction.