The new availability of the Android Instant Apps SDK 1.1 Mobile Developers

October 30, 2017

Author: Ritesh Mehta

Android is one of the top operating systems that are widely used by people and businesses all over the world. In general, mobile software development has made a huge impact on people from all walks of life, wherever they may be located in the world. The giant operating system has announced the availability of the Android Instant Apps SDK 1.1. It is a way for the company to run Android applications without any installation.

LATEST RELEASE FEATURES

The latest release features include an enhanced NDK support, a new API to maintain user context when switching from an instant application to an installed one and configuration APKs. Developers would now be able to isolate resources as well as native libraries into independent configuration APKs. Apps that use the configuration APKs would only load the libraries and resources needed by the device of a user, which would result in smaller app sizes. Moreover, the company says that there has been an average 10 percent reduction in the size of binaries loaded when supporting configuration APKs for CPU architecture, display density and language.

The new update would be available also on older versions of Android, like Marshmallow, Lollipop and Nougat. Installed applications could get a ZIP file of the storage of instant play by calling InstantAppsClient.getInstantAppData using the Instant Apps Google Play Services API. Developers could start creating instant apps on the latest software development kit or SDK by opening the SDK Manager in Android Studio and updating the Instant Apps Development ASK to 1.1.0.

INTRODUCING THE CONFIGURATION APKs

For a great instant app experience, app binaries have to be well-structured and lean. This is why the configuration APKs were introduced, to simplify custom mobile application development. The configuration APKs enable developers to isolate device-specific resource as well as native libraries to independent APKs. For an app using configuration APKs, the Android Instant Apps framework would only load the resources and native libraries that are relevant to the user device, thus reducing the total instant app size on the device.

START BUILDING THE ANDROID INSTANT APP

For an Android application developer, now is the time to start building Android Instant App. It is simple to begin creating the instant app on the current SDK. Simply open the software development kit Manager in Android Studio and update the Instant Apps Development SDK to 1.1.0. The Instant Apps were launched officially in May, but now just started to see how monumental they could be. Designed to get the applications up and running in seconds, the feature allows user to try out fully functioning Android applications with no need to actually install them. Only last week, Google unveiled the Instant Apps SDK 1.1. that brought a faster and leaner experience. Now, Instant Apps are ready for the spotlight.

GOOGLE’S VISION FOR THE INSTANT APPS

Google would be integrating the Instant apps right into the Play Store through a new Try it now button. Today, when you see the app with a companion Instant App in the Play Store, it could be taken for a test drive without actually having to install it. Google states that its vision for Instant Aps is that all applications one day would be available as Instant Apps or downloadable ones and a user could choose which version to use.

Google has to do the heavy lifting to make the right parts of the application available at the right time. There is also the renewed focus on reporting bugs. Google launches a bug bounty program that reward developers up to $1,000 for every vulnerability resolved. In addition, there would be new developer tools as well as beta testing to identify vulnerabilities and crashes before the app is launched. For gamers, Google has built a new home for games within the Play Store, with a couple of new options to discover, namely, the Premium for paid games and new for upcoming and trending games. The new changes in the Play Store would be rolling out to all users very soon.

WHY INSTANT APPS MATTER

Instant Apps are the future of mobile applications. Combining speed of a web application with the functionality and design of a native one, Instant Apps not just free up space, but also allow developers to target specific sections and features exactly when a use requires it. For instance, McDonalds could provide an Instant app for ordering when looking up location, or Yelp could show reviews for a nearby restaurant. It could be limited to discovery and sharing now, but Instant Apps is the first step to a future where there would be no need for hundreds of applications cluttering the application drawers and home screens and taking up precious space on phones.

The Android Instant Apps SDK 1.1 is a great application that developers of Android applications could use to streamline the process. It has new features that make for effective application development.