1# FAQ
2
3[TOC]
4
5## General FAQ
6
7### What is `androidx`?
8
9Artifacts within the `androidx` package comprise the libraries of
10[Android Jetpack](https://developer.android.com/jetpack).
11
12Libraries in the `androidx` package provide functionality that extends the
13capabilities of the Android platform. These libraries, which ship separately
14from the Android OS, focus on improving the experience of developing apps
15through broad OS- and device-level compatibility, high-level abstractions to
16simplify and unify platform features, and other new features that target
17developer pain points.
18
19### How are `androidx` and AndroidX related to Jetpack?
20
21They are effectively the same thing!
22
23**Jetpack** is the external branding for the set of components, tools, and
24guidance that improve the developer experience on Android.
25
26Libraries within Jetpack use the **`androidx`** Java package and Maven group ID.
27Developers expect these libraries to follow a consistent set of API design
28guidelines, conform to SemVer and alpha/beta revision cycles, and use the public
29Android issue tracker for bugs and feature requests.
30
31**AndroidX** is the open-source project where the majority\* of Jetpack
32libraries are developed. The project's tooling and infrastructure enforce the
33policies associated with Jetback branding and `androidx` packaging, allowing
34library developers to focus on writing and releasing high-quality code.
35
36<sup>* Except a small number of libraries that were historically developed using
37a different workflow, such as ExoPlayer/Media or AndroidX Test, and have built
38up equivalent policies and processes.
39
40### Why did we move to `androidx`?
41
42Please read our
43[blog post](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2018/05/hello-world-androidx.html)
44about our migration.
45
46### What happened to the Support Library?
47
48As part of the Jetpack effort to improve developer experience on Android, the
49Support Library team undertook a massive refactoring project. Over the course of
502017 and 2018, we streamlined and enforced consistency in our packaging,
51developed new policies around versioning and releasing, and developed tools to
52make it easy for developers to migrate.
53
54### Will there be any more updates to Support Library?
55
56No, revision `28.0.0` of the Support Library, which launched as stable in
57September 2018, was the last feature release in the `android.support` package.
58There will be no further releases under Support Library packaging and they
59should be considered deprecated.
60
61### What library versions have been officially released?
62
63You can see all publicly released versions on the interactive
64[Google Maven page](https://maven.google.com).
65