Google is Bringing Fuchsia OS to Android Devices

AndroidOS and ChromeOS have long been Google's flagship operating systems, but you may not know that the software giant has been developing another OS called Fuchsia OS since 2016.

This open-source operating system isn't built on the Linux kernel like AndroidOS or ChromeOS but on Zircon, a micro-kernel developed from scratch by Google. It made its first appearance on smart home devices starting with the first-generation Nest Hub in 2021.

Now, it seems that it will now appear on Android devices as developers at Google are working on a stripped-down version of Fuchsia OS called Microfuchsia, although Google's reasons for doing this are still a mystery. Nonetheless, many think it may have something to do with the efficiency and flexibility of Android devices.

This is further proven by Fuchsia's microkernel architecture, which can reduce the amount of trusted code running in the system and bring a new level of security and stability to systems where it is deployed.

Interestingly, while Fuchsia OS won't be replacing the AndroidOS or ChromeOS that we are used to, it may replace microdroid. Microdroid is a mini version of AndroidOS designed to run on on-device virtual machines, and it could now see Fuchsia OS take its place for more efficient and secure workload performance.

Earlier, Google had showcased ChromeOS on a Pixel device under the name Ferrochrome to boost Android 15 virtualization capabilities. While Google later said the Ferrochrome project was just a proof of concept, the company was recently spotted having an app called "Ferrochrome launcher" under development.

In the same vein, Google's experiments with virtualization on Android are expected to continue with Fuchsia OS.

Right now, Google has not stated how it wants to deploy Fuchsia OS and what role it plays in the future of AndroidOS and ChromeOS. However, we are confident that Fuchsia OS is here to stay and will most likely feature in future releases of Google-designed operating systems.