Overview
- New AOSP publishes will be consolidated into Q2 and Q4 releases each year.
- Google disclosed the policy via a banner on source.android.com on January 6, 2026.
- Developers are advised to use the android-latest-release manifest branch, which will always point to the most recent AOSP snapshot.
- This marks a shift from prior practice of releasing source shortly after most Android and Pixel updates.
- Reporting emphasizes that the change primarily affects developers and downstream builders, with no direct impact on typical users.