Biannual AOSP Tightens Control

Google will publish Android Open Source Project source code only twice a year (Q2 and Q4) starting in 2026 and recommends downstream developers use the android‑latest‑release manifest instead of aosp‑main. Security patches will still be published monthly on a security‑only branch, but the reduced release cadence aims to simplify Google’s trunk‑stable development model and reduce branch complexity. — Consolidating AOSP releases is a governance move that can increase vendor leverage over OEMs, forks, and app developers, affecting openness, competition, and where technical and political disputes over Android control will play out.