Now In Android from Android Developers Blog: Google Android Developer

Welcome to the 100th installment of Now in Android, the continuous series aimed at keeping you updated on the latest in Android development.

This 100th edition isn’t just a landmark moment; it introduces a revamped video format, fresh musical backing, and the debut of the new Bot! The majority of this post’s content can be enjoyed as a video or podcast, so you have the freedom to either watch or listen instead of reading. (Or indulge in all three methods for a better recall! And don’t worry, there’s no quiz at the end.)

Source: Android Developers Blog

Launch of Android 15 Developer Preview

The inaugural Developer Preview of Android 15 has been announced, aimed at enhancing the Android ecosystem with advanced features while emphasizing media capabilities, battery efficiency, app performance, and user privacy and security.

Key Features and Updates in Android 15

• Privacy and Security Enhancements: Android 15 continues to build upon its commitment to user privacy and security with updates to the Privacy Sandbox and Health Connect, along with introducing new file integrity protection APIs.
• Creative and Media Capabilities: The release brings refined camera controls and introduces support for virtual MIDI 2.0 devices, empowering developers to create more dynamic and engaging creative applications.
• Performance and Efficiency: The Android Dynamic Performance Framework has been expanded to include a new power-efficiency mode, capabilities for reporting GPU work durations, and providing Thermal Headroom thresholds. This is in line with Android’s ongoing effort to maintain smooth app performance while minimizing battery impact.
• Quality of Life Improvements: Android 15 introduces quality of life improvements with new OpenJDK APIs, which will be rolled out to over a billion devices via Google Play system updates, ensuring widespread adoption and user benefit.

Getting Started with Android 15

Developers are encouraged to begin testing their applications with Android 15 using the emulator or by flashing a system image onto compatible devices such as the Pixel 6+, Pixel Fold, or Pixel Tablet. This early testing phase is crucial for adapting apps to the new platform and leveraging the latest features to enhance app functionality and user experience.

For more detailed information, refer to the announcements on the Android Developers Blog.

Launch of Android Studio Iguana

Android Studio Iguana has been introduced to the stable release channel, marking a significant step forward in app development. This new release is designed to streamline the creation of high-quality applications, offering developers a suite of advanced features.

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Key Enhancements in Android Studio Iguana

The update brings several notable enhancements aimed at improving the development workflow. One such feature is the Compose UI Check, which conducts automatic audits on Compose UI, ensuring accessibility and adaptability across various screen sizes. Another innovative feature is the introduction of progressive rendering in Compose Preview, which significantly accelerates the iteration process for complex layouts by reducing the detail of previews that are out of view. Additionally, Iguana enhances Version Control System support within App Quality Insights and introduces built-in capabilities for creating Baseline Profiles. There is also improved support for Gradle Version Catalogs.

The release further includes the Espresso device API, facilitating the testing of configuration changes. An integrated update from IntelliJ 2023.2 is part of this release, featuring several improvements such as GitLab support and enhanced text search functionality in Search Everywhere. For a comprehensive overview of these updates and more, the Android Developers Blog is the go-to source.

This summary is based on content from the Android Developers Blog.

Integration of Cloud Photos in Android’s Photo Picker

Android’s photo picker has been enhanced with the inclusion of cloud photos. This new feature allows applications to offer users a seamless experience in browsing and selecting photos and videos, regardless of whether they are stored locally or in the cloud. Initially, this integration is available with Google Photos, with plans to expand to other cloud media applications that fulfill certain eligibility criteria.

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Availability and Rollout

The cloud photos functionality is being introduced as part of the February Google Play system update. Devices running Android 12 and newer versions will benefit from this update, enabling users to access their cloud-stored memories directly through the photo picker.

This update is detailed on the Android Developers Blog.

Introduction of ML Kit Document Scanner API

The ML Kit Document Scanner API has been launched, providing developers with a straightforward method to incorporate sophisticated document scanning features into their applications.

Features of the ML Kit Document Scanner API

This API is designed to offer a standardized, intuitive interface for scanning documents, ensuring ease of use. It boasts advanced functionality such as accurate detection of corners and edges for precise document capture. Additionally, it offers users the ability to further refine scanned documents by cropping, applying filters, and removing any unwanted elements like fingers or blemishes. A key advantage of this API is its on-device processing capability, which negates the need for camera permissions, enhancing user privacy. The ML Kit Document Scanner API is compatible with devices running on Android API level 21 and above.

For further details on this development, refer to the Android Developers Blog.

Enhancing Wear OS with Hybrid Interface Technology

The launch of the OnePlus Watch 2, powered by Wear OS, introduces an innovative dual-chipset architecture. This new system, in collaboration with the hybrid interface of Wear OS, significantly increases the battery lifespan, offering up to 100 hours of Smart Mode usage.

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Optimizing Applications for Wear OS

Developers can now utilize the existing Wear OS APIs to harness these enhancements in their applications. Notable APIs include NotificationCompat and Health Services on Wear OS, which are designed to optimize app performance and user experience. With the introduction of Wear OS 4, the new Watch Face Format was also launched. This format is engineered to ensure that watch faces are future-proof, enabling them to benefit from forthcoming optimizations on newer devices.

For more information on these updates, visit the Android Developers Blog.

Highlighted Articles on Android Development Enhancements

A collection of insightful articles offers deep dives into various aspects of Android development, showcasing innovative features and techniques.

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Nested Scrolling in Jetpack Compose by Levi

Levi provides an extensive exploration of nested scrolling within Jetpack Compose, detailing how developers can implement custom nested scrolling behaviors. An example highlighted is the functionality akin to what is offered by the Material 3’s TopAppBar scrollBehavior parameter, enabling refined user interactions in app designs.

Strong Skipping Mode in Jetpack Compose by Ben

Ben discusses the Strong Skipping Mode, an experimental feature introduced in the Jetpack Compose Compiler version 1.5.4 and beyond. This feature alters the recomposition rules for composables, aiming to significantly minimize unnecessary recompositions and thereby enhance app performance.

Shape Morphing Progress Bar in Compose by Rebecca Franks

Rebecca Franks, an Android Developer Relations Engineer at Google, demonstrates the creative use of shapes in Compose to design a dynamic progress bar. This bar interestingly morphs between two shapes, utilizing the graphics-shapes library. The newly released documentation for this library serves as a guide for developers to incorporate such visual effects into their applications.

For further exploration of these topics, the original articles can be found on the Android Developers Blog.

Featured Videos and Developer Insights

We Spot Turtles! Project Highlighted in #WeArePlay

The #WeArePlay series shines a light on the innovative developers behind “We Spot Turtles!”, an app designed to crowdsource images for a machine learning model. This model aids in gathering comprehensive data on sea turtles in their natural habitats. For those who prefer reading, there’s a related blog post available.

AndroidX Updates and Releases

A flurry of activity has been noted in the Android Jetpack ecosystem with the release of the first alphas for a range of components, including Annotation 1.8, Benchmark 1.3, and several others. Notable updates include:

• Compose Material 3 1.3: This update brings enhanced support for predictive back navigation, along with improvements to the Slider and ProgressIndicator, focusing on accessibility enhancements.
• Lint 1.0 Library: Aimed at Gradle Plugin authors, this new library provides a suite of lint checks to help identify and rectify errors in plugin code.
• Glance 1.1: Introduces a unit testing library that doesn’t rely on UI Automator, alongside advanced components, modifiers, and an API for managing flows of RemoteViews.
• Hilt Version 1.2 and Test Uiautomator 2.3: These releases add assisted injection support for various ViewModel helpers and extend support for multiple displays and custom wait conditions, respectively.

Android Developers Backstage Podcast

In Episode 204, titled “Fan’otations,” Tor, Romain, and Chet delve into Lint checks and annotations. They discuss how these tools contribute to creating more robust, self-documenting APIs, reflecting Tor’s enthusiasm for the subject. Chet humorously remarks, “Lint: It’s not just for pockets anymore,” showcasing the team’s continued commitment to both Android’s development and maintaining a light-hearted community spirit.

For detailed information on these updates and insights, interested individuals are encouraged to visit the original sources, including the Android Developers Blog.

FAQS

What is the “Now in Android” Series?

Now in Android is a continuous series dedicated to keeping you informed about the latest developments in Android technology. The 100th installment celebrates this milestone with a revamped video format, new music, and the introduction of a new Bot. This edition offers the flexibility to enjoy the content through video, podcast, or reading, catering to various preferences without the pressure of a quiz at the end.

What’s New in the Android 15 Developer Preview?

Android 15 Developer Preview focuses on enhancing media capabilities, minimizing battery impact, ensuring smooth app performance, and upholding user privacy and security across a wide range of devices. It introduces updates to Privacy Sandbox and Health Connect, new file integrity protection APIs, enhanced camera controls, support for virtual MIDI 2.0 devices, and improvements to the Android Dynamic Performance Framework and OpenJDK APIs.

How Can Developers Get Started with Android 15?

Developers are encouraged to start testing their apps with Android 15 using the emulator or by flashing a system image onto a compatible device such as the Pixel 6+, Pixel Fold, or Pixel Tablet. This early testing is crucial for adapting apps to the new platform and leveraging its latest features.

What are the Key Enhancements in Android Studio Iguana?

Android Studio Iguana brings significant enhancements to app development, including the Compose UI Check for auditing Compose UI, progressive rendering in Compose Preview for faster iteration on layouts, Version Control System support, Espresso device API for testing configuration changes, and many improvements from the integrated IntelliJ 2023.2 update.

How Does the Integration of Cloud Photos in Android’s Photo Picker Work?

The integration of cloud photos with Android’s photo picker enables a unified experience for users to browse and select photos and videos stored both locally and in the cloud. Initially integrated with Google Photos, this feature is set to expand to other eligible cloud media apps and is rolling out with the February Google Play system update for Android 12 and newer devices.

What is the ML Kit Document Scanner API?

The ML Kit Document Scanner API allows for the easy integration of advanced document scanning capabilities into apps. It provides a standardized interface, precise corner and edge detection, and on-device processing, which eliminates the need for camera permissions. The API is compatible with devices running on Android API level 21 and above.

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How Does the Wear OS Hybrid Interface Improve Device Performance?

The Wear OS hybrid interface, used in the OnePlus Watch 2, utilizes a dual-chipset architecture to extend battery life up to 100 hours in Smart Mode. Developers can take advantage of existing Wear OS APIs, such as NotificationCompat and Health Services, and the new Watch Face Format introduced in Wear OS 4 to optimize app performance and user experience.

What Innovations are Highlighted in the Featured Articles on Android Development?

The featured articles delve into nested scrolling in Jetpack Compose, Jetpack Compose’s Strong Skipping Mode, and using shapes in Compose to create dynamic progress bars. These articles showcase innovative features and techniques for enhancing Android app development.

What is the Focus of the Featured Videos and Developer Insights?

The featured videos highlight the developers behind “We Spot Turtles!”, an app that uses crowdsourced images to gather data on sea turtles. Additionally, updates in the AndroidX releases include enhancements to Compose Material 3, the new Lint library, Glance 1.1, Hilt Version 1.2, and Test Uiautomator 2.3, focusing on improving app development and performance.

What Topics are Discussed in Android Developers Backstage Podcast Episode 204?

Episode 204 of the Android Developers Backstage Podcast, titled “Fan’otations,” features discussions on Lint checks and annotations. The hosts share insights on how these tools help create more robust, self-documenting APIs, reflecting a commitment to improving Android development and maintaining a community spirit.