Google why?

More updates = better, of course!

Most of the updates seem to be features or UI changes that nobody asked for.

We're excited that we've removed the ability to close apps!
Some of them have been pretty nice. However, the release's are more frequent without the changes and improvements. I like all the new APIs and theming but those aren't something you can do in 3 months.

Y'all don't understand semantic versioning.

Google does a major release pretty much yearly.

Major releases are for breaking changes.

That's exactly what we're complaning about. Major release cycle used to be much longer. Now they have this need to break things all the time. I hate the new bubble settings UI, and that everything keeps getting worse to use instead of better.
- Then...don't upgrade?
  
  I'm sorry I don't see what the problem is here. This is a typical release schedule.
  
  iOS has the same schedule (major release yearly). At least Google supports and patches for over 3 years. Apple is supporting 17 and 18 and that's it. Android is still patching 12-15.
  
  Mobile hardware is probably the fastest developing
  corner of consumer electronics...between processors, screens, and battery technology. Of course software will have to change fast to keep up.
Now what does that say about regular major releases?

You might not notice it but us Android devs do.

And we hate it... Alot.
- It's a wild Alot!
- It's the worst treadmill. By the time I finish implementing/refactoring something, they replace it with a new standard and deprecate the old way.

This is creepy. I was just thinking this an hour ago. Android used to have incremental updates (8.1.2 amirite) but now theybjust brand it as a new version when there's like one or two new "features" no one will use.

Lucky MF, all my androids at least 3 years out of date

Manufacture Android is often way out of date. They rarely even ship security patches
- Pixels get 7 yearss of updates. Most other androids are trash, including Samsung imo

Wait until you find out that Android 16 is coming out in Q2 2025.

And it will be exactly the same as 15,14,13...
You weren't even joking. Dev previews coming soon

Yeah, they look almost the same. I can't remember the last time I got an update and noticed it.

Got Android 15 recently. The volume bar is twice as big now! I thought it was just a visual difference but volume is now more finely tuned, as in it goes from 0 to 20 instead of 0 to 10 and steps by 1. (Not sure of the real numbers)
Last update that had a noticeable GUI change for me was when they switched navigation default from 3-button to gesture. Fortunately they still have the option for 3-button.
- I liked the introduction of gestures, so much screen space was lost to those buttons.
I can remember updating but it is almost a pointless exercise. (lineage OS requires manual version updates)
users complain about major ui changes os stops doing major ui changes often it looks the same

Android looks good. Why do they have the change the look again when not nearly every app is even using Material You?

I'd rather performance, power, and more capabilities like desktop mode.

Because if they slow down people won't upgrade as fast because the manufacturers pledge "X number of versions" updates not years. So if Google slows down manufacturers would have to support longer. Gotta keep that money flowing in because Google gets a cut of sales.

Wut? The major manufacturers I've paid attention to, who've made update support promises, have done "X years" not "X versions"
What? I've never heard of that in my life. Years, yes.
I've observed this substantially more with iOS updates vs. Android.
- It’s not true for either one. Both Apple and Android OEMs pledge support for years not versions.
More children to exploit in those cobalt mines! Can't stop now!
They are hurting themselves in the long run. People get bored of continuous updates and it means that each release gets way less attention. They should do minor version bumps if anything. Do a 14.1, 14.2 and so on

People justifying their jobs. Can't wait for these megacorps to be broken up

So you are advocating for slowing down the work on Android, or for keeping the pace the same but witholding the updates for longer before a release? Or something else?
- I'm saying Android is too big and the updates are becoming more anti-consumer

They finally have multiline app names in beta for the pixel... Idk why it's taking them so long. My old crusty motorola displays long names just fine; its crazy that it took until Android 15 just to get a beta of that.

It's probably something like "why would you want to waste precious resources on something so small" or whatever, which just leads to shitty messes everywhere
And in Nova it's a simple setting you can toggle for every screen separately.

I have a pixel phone running GrapheneOs. I just realized i'm running Android 15.

~~Android 15 isn't out yet~~

16 isn't out yet
- I'm over here still on Android 14. Yay prepaid phones!

Bigger number = better = money.

I can't wait for the next version with even more hard to disable messages about apps sending late number of text messages (I know I'm sending thousands, I wrote the dam program, no I won't be charged)

So you are a telephone scammer?

We are on to now Mr. Crabs
- no, I just wanted to harass my friend more effectively than his script that basically did the same thing.

Following Apple's steps

Does Apple do this? I though they were slower to release new major versions
- They are doing a major release every year. . Then they do 2-5 feature releases every year. The they do constant bug fix releases/and security updates.
  
  Often they change shit just for the sake of changing shit with no apparent rhyme or reason. I tried to figure out how to multi-task on my work iPad. Every release they change it and it's all hidden commands. I finally just disabled multi-tasking and use my phone as an extra screen.
  
  It's seriously much worse than my android phones. On my pixel I install a launcher, set it up how I like it and never see most of the changes between versions.
- Apple releases a new major version every year, usually in September. What has Googles cadence been?
- I was referring to the marginal changes between consecutive releases replying to:
  
  Can’t wait for Android 15 that looks almost exactly like Android 12