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Google could integrate Fuchsia OS into Android devices after all. However, probably not as you imagine, but in a more discreet way. Everything would revolve around the microfuchsia project.
Fuchsia OS, the least known among Google’s operating systems
In the OS segment, the Mountain View giant is well known for Android and Chrome OS. That said, the lesser-known Fuchsia OS has also been around for years. Android and Chrome OS were developed on the Linux kernel. Meanwhile, Fuchsia OS uses Zircon as its core, which has a microkernel-like architecture. For reference, HarmonyOS NEXT architecture is also microkernel-based.
A microkernel architecture means that the entire OS does not run directly in the kernel. Instead, only the most basic services (such as the items necessary to boot the system) do so. So, there is less of a highly privileged code, which translates into improved security and stability. There’s a drawback to this, since the performance is lower because there is more data continuously moving between different spaces (kernel and user space).
Perhaps the performance issue is what has delayed (or canceled) Google’s rumored intentions to replace Android with Fuchsia OS. However, it can still be implemented on a smaller scale, and that’s what Google could do on smartphones.
Fuchsia OS could be implemented on Android devices for improved security
According to Mishaal Rahman, Google has been working on “microfuchsia” since April 2024. This is a project to run Fuchsia OS on current devices through virtualization. With this, the company would aim to implement microfuchsia on Android to run certain types of processes in securely isolated environments. Currently, the Microdroid subsystem takes care of that on Android. So, Google could replace Microdroid with microfuchsia for greater security, and perhaps greater speed.
The source adds that AOSP just got preparatory patches for the implementation of microfuchsia. However, Google’s plans in this regard are still not entirely clear. Currently, the company has only implemented Fuchsia OS on smart home devices from the Nest family. Hopefully, more details about the microfuchsia project will emerge in the coming weeks or months.