Published: December 18, 2020 9:27 PM IST
Google has announced that it will bid goodbye to Android Things, its Android-based operating system for IoT (Internet of Things) products, starting earlier next year. Read on to know why. Also Read - Google Pixel Buds A could launch alongside Pixel 5a: Report
Android Things OS shutting down
Google made the decision by official via its FAQ page for developers. The company wrote on the FAQ page, “
It is suggested that the Android Things Dashboard, which is used for managing devices, will stop accepting new devices and projects in just three weeks on January 5, 2021. Developers will, however, be able to continue updating existing deployments until January 5, 2022, the company said in a statement. Also Read - Google drops out for MWC Barcelona 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions
18 December 2020, 8:53 am EST By
Google announced that it will shut down its stripped-down version of Android that is designed for smart home devices. The OS called Android Things never took off and was below expectations when introduced in the market.
Google to shut down its OS for smart homes
The smart home project started in 2015 and it was first introduced as Brillo and was meant to provide the underlying operating system for the internet of things.
In 2016, Google changed Brillo and relaunched the OS as Android Things. It which was meant to run on products such as connected speakers, routers and security cameras. By relying on Android, the OS was supposed to be familiar to the users, developers and it should be easy to navigate.
Next up on Google s kill list is Android Things talkandroid.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from talkandroid.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Back in February 2019, Google announced the closure of support for commercial use of the Android Things platform for device makers. Now Google has turned their attention to the Android Things Console for non-commercial use. Beginning early next year on January 5th 2021 the console will no longer allow creation of new projects using NXP i.MX7D and Raspberry Pi 3B. Google explains more :
“Developers can continue to use the Android Things console to build images and serve OTA updates for their existing projects until January 5, 2022. At this point, the console will be turned down completely and all project data will be permanently deleted including build configurations and factory images. The Android Things console will stop supporting new projects on January 5, 2021, and will be turned down for all existing projects on January 5, 2022.”
Google shares the shutdown timeline for Android Things
Google launched Android Things back in 2016 as a simple operating system for use on a variety of smart appliances. It never actually found its way onto any Google hardware products, though, and last year the company announced it was narrowing its focus to smart speakers and displays. Now Android Things OS is hitting another obstacle on its way out the door, as non-commercial use starts being cut early next year.
As of January 5, 2021, the Android Things Developer Console will no longer accept the creation of new projects using either the NXP i.MX7D or Raspberry Pi 3B, the last of its two developer kits still in use.