Short answer: because Android doesn’t have a plugin format, and AUv3 is an Apple thing.
Slightly longer answer below.
AUv3 is Apple-only
AUv3 (Audio Unit version 3) is a technology made by Apple, for Apple devices. It’s the format that lets Koala run inside other apps like GarageBand, AUM, Logic, Cubasis etc on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Apple built it, Apple maintains it, and Apple only ships it on their own operating systems (iOS, iPadOS, macOS).
It is not a thing that Koala can just “add” to Android. It would be like asking why your PlayStation can’t play Xbox games. Different company, different platform, doesn’t work that way.
Android has no equivalent
On desktop you’ve got VST, AU, AAX. On iOS you’ve got AUv3. On Android you’ve got… nothing. There is no official, system-wide plugin format for audio apps on Android. Google has never built one.
This means:
- Koala can’t be a plugin inside another Android app.
- Other apps can’t be plugins inside Koala on Android.
- Android DAWs (the few that exist) all have to invent their own bespoke integration, which nobody else supports.
It’s not that I haven’t got around to it. There is genuinely nothing to plug into.
Why doesn’t Google just make one?
Good question. Ask them.
Honestly, Google has historically not prioritised music-making on Android. Audio latency was awful for years (it’s getting better, slowly), and a proper plugin standard would require them to actually care about musicians as a user group. So far, they don’t seem to.
What you can do
If you want this to change, the only thing that actually moves the needle is Google hearing from a lot of people that they want it. A few places you can shout into the void:
- Android issue tracker (the official place Google engineers actually read): https://issuetracker.google.com/ - file a feature request under the Android component.
- Send feedback from your Android device: Settings → About phone → Send feedback (or in many Google apps: menu → Help & feedback). Mention you want a system-level audio plugin format, similar to Apple’s AUv3.
- Tag @Android and @GoogleDevs on social media asking for an official audio plugin standard.
The more people who ask, the harder it is to ignore. Until then, sadly, plugins on Android just aren’t a thing - for Koala or anyone else.