Google Offers Voluntary Exit Program to Pixel and Android Teams Amid AI-Driven Restructuring

Google's Pixel and Android employees in the US are being asked to step aside voluntarily

The move follows last year's restructuring, which merged the Pixel hardware and Android software divisions to accelerate AI development. Google is offering US employees in its Platforms & Devices division -- which includes teams behind Pixel, Android, Nest, Fitbit, and Chrome -- a chance to leave the company voluntarily with a severance package. The move, first reported by 9to5Google, follows the tech giant's decision last year to merge its Pixel hardware and Android software teams into a single unit, a shift now prompting further organizational adjustments. The reorganization and exit program both tie back to Google's AI ambitions. Merging Android and Pixel teams under one roof was designed to "speed up decision-making" and ensure tighter collaboration on AI projects, Osterloh explained last year. In an internal memo shared Thursday, Senior Vice President Rick Osterloh announced the "voluntary exit program," framing it as an opportunity for workers who feel disconnected from the merged team's goals or who are struggling with hybrid work policies. Osterloh noted that the voluntary exits address feedback from staff who criticized Google's handling of past layoffs for not offering departure options upfront. The memo acknowledges that some employees may not feel fully aligned with the division's broader mission. Rather than imposing involuntary job cuts -- at least for now -- Google is giving employees a choice to step away. That said, Google's broader cost-cutting efforts cannot be ignored. Last year, Alphabet's new CFO said the company was focused on "driving further efficiencies," a phrase often associated with reducing overhead costs. While Google has not announced layoffs as part of this initiative, it remains to be seen whether this is a preemptive measure to trim headcount before any more drastic decisions are made.

Google to Pixel, Chrome, Android Teams: 'Be Deeply Committed' or Leave

Google on Thursday announced a "voluntary exit program" for its Platforms and Devices team, which comprises employees working on Android, Pixel, and Chrome, 9to5Google reports. "The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit program that provides US-based Googlers working on this team the ability to voluntarily leave the company with a severance package," Google SVP Rick Osterloh wrote in an internal memo. Last spring, Google merged the Android and hardware teams and brought them under Osterloh's leadership. That was intended to accelerate the integration of AI into all of Google's products, and Osterloh said in his Thursday memo that those who want to stay at Google should be deeply committed to that mission. "There's tremendous momentum on this team, and with so much important work ahead, we want everyone to be deeply committed to our mission and focused on building great products, with speed and efficiency," he wrote. Earlier this week, CNBC reported that Google employees were fearing layoffs following CFO Anat Ashkenazi's comments about initiating more cost-cutting to make up for the company's increasing spend on AI infrastructure. Some Googlers then began circulating a petition titled "job security." It was signed by more than 1,250 employees and called on CEO Sundar Pichai to offer optimal buyouts before announcing layoffs. However, it's unclear whether the petition spurred Osterloh's memo. This comes after the Trump administration told federal employees they could take a "deferred resignation" and get paid through September. But those who remained would need to adapt to updated performance standards. Elon Musk watchers immediately realized that the Trump email mirrored a memo Musk sent to Twitter employees in 2022 that told them they needed to be "extremely hardcore" to remain at the company. Musk is now head of Trump's unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).