This page provides several ways to contact Google or communicate with other Android developers.
Discussion groups
Discussion groups are intended for developers working with the Android platform. Our users help each other, and many experts post to these groups, including members of the Open Handset Alliance. You're welcome to join and post to any group, as long as you follow the Discussion group rules.
The following table lists discussion groups available to Android developers. To join any of these discussion groups, click the link in the Subscription links column.
| Group name | Description | Subscription links |
|---|---|---|
| android-building | A group for discussion and help with building the Android source code, and with the build system. If you've just checked out the source code and have questions about how to turn it into binaries, start here. | Subscribe through email or Subscribe through Google Groups |
| android-porting | This group is for developers who want to port Android to a new device. If you're wondering how to combine the Android source code with your hardware, this is the right group for you. Here you can discuss the specifics of porting Android to individual devices, from obtaining toolchains and merging kernel driver all the way to configuring or modifying apps for your specific configuration. | Subscribe through email or Subscribe through Google Groups |
| android-contrib | This group is for developers who want to contribute code to Android. This is a working list, and isn't appropriate for general discussion. | Subscribe through email or Subscribe through Google Groups |
Discussion group rules
The following rules outline what's expected of subscribers to the discussion groups:
Be friendly: Showing courtesy and respect to others is a vital part of the Android culture, and Google expects everyone participating in the Android community to be courteous. Being courteous doesn't mean that you can't constructively disagree with each other, but it does mean that you must be polite when doing so. There's never a reason to be antagonistic or dismissive toward anyone; if you think there is, think again before you post. Mobile development is serious business, but it's also a lot of fun, so help Google strive to be one of the friendliest communities in all of open source.
Google doesn't have a formal policy on dealing with troublemakers, and we hope we never need one. That said, Google pledges to do our best to be fair and always try to warn someone before banning them. If you see someone being rude or disrespectful, call them out on it. This is your group, and you don't have to accept someone else being disrespectful just because it wasn't directed at you. Just remember to be polite and courteous yourself!
Post only to the most relevant group for your message. Most of these groups are for technical discussions of Android or users helping each other. Generally Google doesn't put hard restrictions on the topics discussed in a group. As long as the topic is relevant to Android in some way, it's welcome. Google welcomes announcements and discussion of products, libraries, publications, and other interesting Android-related news, but don't cross-post. Google even welcomes (polite!) discussion of articles and ideas critical of Android—after all, Google can't improve if we don't listen.
In working groups, stay on topic. Some of our groups are considered working groups or groups intended to be used to support the completion of specific tasks. In these groups, off-topic conversation isn't welcomed. Instead, start general discussions in a different group.
Avoid spam. Google hates spam almost as passionately as we love courtesy and respect, so we reserve the right to limit spam-like discussions. Outright spam results in the spammer being immediately and permanently banned from the list.
Search the group archives to see whether your question has already been discussed. Searching for an answer before posting a new question avoids time-wasting, redundant discussions.
Use a clear, relevant message subject. Clear subjects help everyone, both those trying to answer your question and those looking for information.
Give plenty of details in your post. Code or log snippets, pointers to screenshots, and similar details get better results and make for better discussions. For a great guide to phrasing your questions, read How to ask questions the smart way.
Contacts
This section lists options for contacting Google about AOSP and Android. While Google reads every message received, Google can't respond to each of them. we promise to contact you if we can help!
License Google Mobile Services
For general information about Google Mobile Services, visit the Google Mobile Services (GMS) marketing site.
To inquire about licensing GMS, use the GMS contact form form.
Inquire about Android partnership
If you are creating a Android-compatible device and want to inquire about partnership, visit Become an Android partner.
Follow Android brand guidelines
If you're a partner and are looking to use Android branding, refer to the Partner marketing hub.
Report an AOSP bug
To report bugs for Android and AOSP, refer to Report AOSP bug.
Additional resources
Following are some additional resources you might use to supplement your Android knowledge.