Google restricts 84 new Android APIs to Pixel phones for three months

Google released Android 17 QPR1 exclusively to Pixel phones on September 15, introducing 84 new public APIs for developers. The source code for this update was not published to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), making the new features Pixel-only. This includes a significant new package, android.hardware.hid, which allows apps to communicate directly with USB and Bluetooth input devices. According to GrapheneOS, this marks a structured policy where QPR1 and QPR3 releases are Pixel-exclusive, with other manufacturers gaining access via QPR2 in December. Security patches for standard Android components in the September Pixel update are also withheld from the public Android Security Bulletin.
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