With Android 15 Google aims to reduce WebView crashes
Among the many aspects of a smartphone, users obviously care a lot about stability, both in the operation of an app and when browsing the internet. However, sometimes it may happen that the operating system returns some errors, for example those relating to the component Android System WebView. The latter is a very important component since it is thanks to it that apps are able to display web content. In this sense, it seems that Google is willing to implement some changes via Android 15.
The goal is to decrease WebView crashes, thus increasing the stability and security of Android. Getting to the heart of the news, it would seem that the Mountain View giant is working on a new Project Mainline module, known as WebViewBootstrap. This module, introduced with Android 10, allowed the components of the operating system to be divided into modules: by doing so, the various updates can be distributed via Google Play instead of using OTA updates.
In this regard, Google, with Android 15, seems to be oriented move several parts of the WebView API code into the new WebViewBootstrap module: in this way it will be possible to directly update the code in particular situations, starting from when it is impossible to start WebView. By the way, the module will also benefit from new “resilience” functionality which will allow you to automatically detect when WebView will not be able to start and thus implement the appropriate corrections. The new module should debut with Android 15, however it seems quite likely that its adoption for OEMs will not be mandatory immediately: in this sense, all this could happen directly with Android 16.
AndroidPolice