After offering voluntary exits in January, Google is said to have laid off “hundreds of employees” in the division responsible for Android, Chrome, Pixel, and more.
This is according to The Information on Thursday evening, with Google confirming the “job reductions” in a statement to the publication and saying that it’s “focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively.”
There are no specifics yet on whether any teams or products were particularly hard hit. In terms of impact, it’s unlikely that end users will notice any changes from this move, with major offerings and efforts remaining in place.
The Platforms & Devices division encompasses everything from Android (Auto, TV, Wear OS, XR) to Chrome and ChromeOS, as well as Google Photos and Google One. (Google Search and Maps are in a separate group, while Gemini is in Google DeepMind and Workspace somewhere else.) Then there’s Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest on the hardware front.
That large group led by SVP Rick Osterloh was formed in April of 2024 after the merger of Platforms & Ecosystems and Devices & Services.
In announcing the buyout program earlier this year, Google wanted to address criticism of previous layoffs and how it did not give people the option to leave in advance. More broadly, “speed and efficiency” was stated as a goal, with that being a general company-wide mandate as of late.
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