Google Will Enable Android Users To Work Within Apps While They Are Updated
Waiting for an app to update is not the end of the world, but it can certainly be very irritating. There soon may be a way to work around this annoyance; Google recently announced at the Android Dev Summit that users will be able to continue to use an app during less serious updates.
Google’s latest "In-app Updates API" was released in response to the concerns of Android developers. Many devs were worried that users have not been updating their apps because it can be a disruptive process. Devs now have two options with the new API. First, devs can display a full message screen to let users know that an urgent update is available. The user can postpone the update if it is inconvenient for them at that time. Second, users can continue to use the app normally during less serious updates. The latest version of the app will simply download in the background.
Google is hopeful that the API will satisfy both developers and users. Users will be able to conveniently update their apps and developers can sleep a little better at night knowing that their most important updates will get to users. Google is currently testing the API with “early access partners” and it will be available to all developers soon.
It was also confirmed at the Android Dev Summit that devs are working on “Foldables” or screens that can bend and fold. Users will be able to view and interact with content on different sized screens on one device. The devs promise that there will be “app continuity”. As users unfold their screen, the app they are using will “seamlessly transfer to the bigger screen without missing a beat.”
This statement pairs nicely with Samsung’s recent announcement of its folding smartphone with a 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display. When the device is folded it looks like a regular smartphone with full touch screen. When the device has been unfolded it resembles a large tablet. Samsung is working with Android devs to provide “app continuity”. It also claims that users will be able to run three apps at once on the 7.3-inch screen with “Multi Active Window”. The folding smartphone will be available in 2019.
Google’s latest "In-app Updates API" was released in response to the concerns of Android developers. Many devs were worried that users have not been updating their apps because it can be a disruptive process. Devs now have two options with the new API. First, devs can display a full message screen to let users know that an urgent update is available. The user can postpone the update if it is inconvenient for them at that time. Second, users can continue to use the app normally during less serious updates. The latest version of the app will simply download in the background.
Image from Android Developers Blog
Google is hopeful that the API will satisfy both developers and users. Users will be able to conveniently update their apps and developers can sleep a little better at night knowing that their most important updates will get to users. Google is currently testing the API with “early access partners” and it will be available to all developers soon.
It was also confirmed at the Android Dev Summit that devs are working on “Foldables” or screens that can bend and fold. Users will be able to view and interact with content on different sized screens on one device. The devs promise that there will be “app continuity”. As users unfold their screen, the app they are using will “seamlessly transfer to the bigger screen without missing a beat.”
Samsung's Folding Smartphone
This statement pairs nicely with Samsung’s recent announcement of its folding smartphone with a 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display. When the device is folded it looks like a regular smartphone with full touch screen. When the device has been unfolded it resembles a large tablet. Samsung is working with Android devs to provide “app continuity”. It also claims that users will be able to run three apps at once on the 7.3-inch screen with “Multi Active Window”. The folding smartphone will be available in 2019.
