Posted by Matthew McCullough – Vice President, Product Administration, Android Developer
Android has at all times labored to get innovation into the palms of customers sooner. Along with our annual platform releases, we’ve invested in Mission Treble, Mainline, Google Play providers, month-to-month safety updates, and the quarterly releases that assist energy Pixel Drops.
Going ahead, Android may have extra frequent SDK releases with two releases deliberate in 2025 with new developer APIs. These releases will assist to drive sooner innovation in apps and gadgets, with increased stability and polish for customers and builders.
Two Android releases in 2025
Subsequent yr, we’ll have a serious launch in Q2 and a minor launch in This fall, each of which can embody new developer APIs. The Q2 main launch would be the solely launch in 2025 to incorporate habits modifications that may have an effect on apps. We’re planning the key launch for Q2 relatively than Q3 to higher align with the schedule of system launches throughout our ecosystem, so extra gadgets can get the key launch of Android sooner.
The This fall minor launch will choose up characteristic updates, optimizations, and bug fixes because the main launch. It’s going to additionally embody new developer APIs, however won’t embody any app-impacting habits modifications.
Outdoors of the key and minor Android releases, our Q1 and Q3 releases will present incremental updates to assist guarantee steady high quality. We’re actively working with our system companions to deliver the Q2 launch to as many gadgets as attainable.
What this implies on your apps
With the key launch coming in Q2, you’ll have to do your annual compatibility testing a couple of months sooner than in earlier years to ensure your apps are prepared. Main releases are identical to the SDK releases we’ve got immediately, and may embody habits modifications together with new developer APIs – and that can assist you get began, we’ll quickly start the developer preview and beta program for the Q2 main launch.
The minor launch in This fall will embody new APIs, however, just like the incremental quarterly releases we’ve got immediately, may have no deliberate habits modifications, minimizing the necessity for compatibility testing. To distinguish main releases (which can comprise deliberate habits modifications) from minor releases, minor releases won’t increment the API degree. As an alternative, they’re going to increment a brand new minor API degree worth, which might be accessed by way of a continuing that captures each main and minor API ranges. A brand new manifest attribute will can help you specify a minor API degree because the minimal required SDK launch on your app. We’ll have an preliminary model of assist for minor API ranges within the upcoming Q2 developer preview, so please attempt constructing towards the SDK and tell us how this works for you.
When planning your concentrating on for 2026, there’s no change to the goal API degree necessities and the related dates for apps in Google Play; our plans are for one annual requirement annually, and that might be tied to the key API degree solely.
Tips on how to prepare
Along with compatibility testing on the following main launch, you may wish to make sure that to check your builds and CI programs with SDK’s supporting main and minor API ranges – some construct programs (together with the Android Gradle construct) would possibly want adapting. Just remember to’re compiling your apps towards the brand new SDK, and use the compatibility framework to allow targetSdkVersion-gated habits modifications for early testing.
Meta is a good instance of how one can embrace and check for brand new releases: they improved their velocity in the direction of targetSdkVersion adoption by 4x. They compiled apps towards every platform Beta and carried out thorough automated and smoke exams to proactively establish potential points. This helped them seamlessly undertake new platform options, and when the discharge rolled out to customers, Meta’s apps had been prepared – creating an incredible person expertise.
What’s subsequent?
As at all times, we plan to work intently with you as we transfer by way of the 2025 releases. We’ll make all of our quarterly releases out there to you for testing and suggestions, with over-the-air Beta releases for our early testers on Pixel and downloadable system photos and instruments for builders.
Our intention with these modifications is to allow sooner innovation and a better degree of high quality and polish throughout releases, with out introducing extra overhead or prices for builders. On the similar time, we’re welcoming a good nearer collaboration with you all year long. Keep tuned for extra data on the primary developer preview of Android 16.
The shift in platform releases highlights Android’s dedication to fixed evolution and collaboration. By working intently with companions and listening to the wants of builders, Android continues to push the boundaries of what is attainable within the cellular world. It is an thrilling time to be a part of the Android ecosystem, and I can not wait to see what the long run holds!
