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Android 17 adds new APIs without releasing them to AOSP
HN saw the change as another sign that Google is tightening control over Android’s supposedly open platform.
GrapheneOS highlighted that Android 17 introduced new public APIs without simultaneously releasing the corresponding platform source to AOSP, an unusual break with Android’s historical model.
Why HN cared
The thread centered on whether Android remains meaningfully open source when Google controls source-release timing, compatibility requirements, attestation and increasingly important proprietary pieces.
Many commenters connected the issue to a broader concern: a project can technically remain open source while one company retains overwhelming practical control.
HN snapshot: about 1.16k points and ~700 comments.