Google has once again swung the axe. This time, it’s hundreds of workers from its Platforms and Devices unit—those behind Android, Pixel phones, and the Chrome browser—who are out of the door.
The company isn’t calling it a surprise. After merging Android and Chrome into one unified group under Pixel and Devices last year, insiders say the writing was already on the wall. The goal? Streamline operations and speed up execution. The result? Jobs cut.
A spokesperson told Reuters: “Since combining the Platforms and Devices teams last year, we’ve focused on becoming more nimble and operating more effectively and this included making some job reductions in addition to the voluntary exit program that we offered in January.”
I don’t think anyone missed that part—“job reductions”—especially those affected. These are not your average workplace changes. Many of these employees were part of the backbone of Google’s hardware and software efforts. Their roles touched millions of users.
Now, this isn’t the first time Google has trimmed down. In January 2023, the tech giant let go of 12,000 workers globally. Back then, it was framed as a necessary move to manage costs and reposition the company.
Fast forward to this year, and we’re seeing the same playbook. Earlier in February, even Google Cloud wasn’t spared. Support teams were downsized to make space for more “critical” hires, especially in sales and engineering.
What’s changed now is the pace. The voluntary exit programme launched earlier this year was supposed to offer employees a softer landing—targeted at those who couldn’t keep up with the company’s evolving hybrid work style or simply didn’t see a future in the reshuffled structure. But when not enough people jumped, Google pushed.
This is what restructuring looks like in real time. It’s not just a new org chart—it’s people packing up their desks, code bases abandoned, roadmaps torn up. You may wonder, what’s the next frontier? Who’s safe?
No official numbers have been released yet on the exact scope of this latest round. Google, as usual, has stayed quiet beyond the spokesperson’s carefully chosen words. But, this is a company aligning itself with speed, efficiency and profit.
We’d see if that means fewer products, leaner teams, or just less human overhead—it’s all part of the same shift. Behind the buzzwords like “nimble” and “effective,” there’s a very real message which says adapt or be shown the door.
