- Google is making Android Runtime a module in Project Mainline for Android 12.
- This could make it easier to provide operating system updates through the Play Store.
- This could also result in more consistent behavior between phones.
Google launched Project Mainline to improve access to Android updates. With the release of Android 12, OS upgrades may be significantly improved. XDA Developer luca020400 discovered that Google is turning Android Runtime (also known as ART) into a mainline module that can be used to push updates to key system components through the Play Store.
ART translates the bytecode of an Android app into native machine instructions. If Google wants to change how Android 12 (and future versions) translate code, it can send these tweaks anytime instead of relying on traditional operating system revisions. You wouldn’t have to wait weeks or months for a feature improvement or a security fix.
Connected: Google should need updates for every Android phone for two years
The move could have a noticeable impact on the devices and apps you use, if not always for the better. XDA found that Google could provide more consistency for apps by making ART behave the same on all Android devices. A provider couldn’t break a favorite program. However, it would also deprive device manufacturers of some of the customizations they are used to. If you optimize ART for performance or flexibility, you can lose these benefits.
Still, Google might decide it’s worth the sacrifice. As you told us earlier, Android updates are important to many users. Android 12 could partially address complaints that OEMs are lagging behind or skipping OS versions, not to mention compatibility issues. This still wouldn’t fix some issues with Android updates, but it could make all the difference if there is a zero-day exploit that needs fixes long before conventional scheduled patches arrive.
