Google is taking one other shot at bringing new options to telephones that haven’t gotten OS updates in years. It’s releasing one thing known as the “Extension Software program Developer Equipment,” which ought to let builders use options like Android 13’s new photo picker in apps working on some variations of Android 11 and 12. In a weblog put up saying the change, the corporate says the function lets it “lengthen the assist of sure platform performance to present Android variations.”
Whereas extra entry to the picture picker beforehand unique to Android 13 is certainly good, Google appears to have a lot greater plans for the Extension SDK. “This replace additionally units the stage for increasing Privateness Sandbox testing on Android,” says Scott Westover, a Google spokesperson. Privateness Sandbox is Google’s in-progress replacement for its present ad-tracking system, and the corporate is planning to roll out the beta for the system on Android 13.
Thus far, Google isn’t speaking about backporting Privateness Sandbox to older variations of the OS. As an alternative, it looks like the Extension SDK will assist the corporate replace Privateness Sandbox on newer variations of Android with out having to place out main OS updates. The weblog makes use of the check for example of how with the ability to introduce new options exterior of main updates “permits sooner improvements.”
The best way this works is difficult, and the weblog put up saying the information is especially aimed on the builders who will really be making use of the system. The TL;DR is that Google’s been laying groundwork for years that lets it replace core elements of Android by the Play Retailer. Now, it’s profiting from that system to make modifications to the APIs that builders use and giving them new methods to test what the system is able to. Within the picture picker instance, a developer might have their code test to see whether or not the consumer’s Android 11 telephone has a sufficiently up to date API — and use the brand new picture picker if it does.
That is simply the newest effort from Google to guarantee that customers can nonetheless get new options, even when the corporate that made their telephone isn’t releasing software program updates. (One thing I deeply respect as somebody who simply purchased a phone that will likely stay stuck on Android 11.) With Android 10, the corporate introduced “Project Mainline,” which is supposed to make it in order that some components of the OS could possibly be up to date by the Play Retailer. Mainline itself adopted Android 8’s Venture Treble, which XDA Developers says was meant to make it simpler for telephone producers to push out updates.
We’ve really seen this work repay. A few of Android’s programs for controlling issues like media playback, Wi-Fi, permissions, and even the Android Runtime itself have been modularized, giving Google extra management over how they’re up to date. And the corporate has taken to rolling out new options like digital state ID cards (which might theoretically be used on gadgets working Android 8) by way of Google Play Providers, which will get updates by the Play Retailer, as an alternative of level releases to Android itself.
As for this newest effort, there’ll nearly definitely be limits. For one, it’s not like Google made all the things modular in Android 10. Every OS replace has added new modules — Android 12 modularized ART and scheduling, whereas Android 13 turned issues like Bluetooth, AppSearch, and UWB into elements. In case you’re on Android 11, it wouldn’t be as straightforward for Google so as to add options for these programs to your telephone as a result of they’re nonetheless constructed into the OS moderately than being items that may be up to date by way of the Play Retailer.