Google officially removed Dialer and Messaging apps from the Android Open Source Project, with some impact on AOSP-Based custom ROMs

In a recent development, Google has officially announced the end of support for the AOSP Dialer and Messaging apps, which have long served as integral components of the Android Open Source Project. The company added a README file to the source code of these apps, clearly stating that they are not actively supported and will be removed from the source manifest in the near future.

The implications of this decision are twofold. Firstly, these apps may cease to function properly in future releases if any significant changes are made. Secondly, once these apps are removed from the source manifest, AOSP builds by default will no longer include a Dialer or Messaging app.

While this may appear to be a significant development, it is important to note that AOSP-based projects, commonly known as "custom ROMs," will not be heavily impacted. The AOSP Dialer and Messaging apps had already seen limited updates, prompting most AOSP-based projects to fork them and develop their own enhancements independently.

In fact, members of the LineageOS project, responsible for maintaining their own Dialer and Messaging apps used by numerous custom ROMs, have reported multiple instances of rejected upstream improvements for the AOSP apps. Therefore, the custom ROM community has long anticipated this move by Google.

Nonetheless, this news is still disappointing as it signifies that AOSP will soon lack a default dialer and messaging app. It is evident that Google's primary focus lies on its first-party Phone and Messages apps, which are distributed as part of Google Mobile Services (GMS). Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are expected to include Google's apps or develop their own alternatives, a practice that has been anticipated within the AOSP community, albeit now formally acknowledged by Google's README announcement.

Our take: It seems that, as time has passed, the open source nature of the Android operating system has gradually diminished, mainly due to the increasing integration of proprietary elements by Google into its framework. Consequently, the Android OS appears to be drifting further away from its roots as an open source platform.