Last time I've heard about running android app without installing it.
Like "demo app" or something like that.
What doest it mean?
Generally you have to go to Google Play in order to install the app and run it.
It isn't via a browser, because you can supposedly use the android app functions
Instant Apps are the next step in app evolution, a universal Android solution that brings the speed and power of a native app with the ease and immediacy of a web app. They look and operate just like one of the apps that are installed on your phone, but you don’t need to download anything.
Android Instant Apps allow you to use native Android apps in a form that doesn’t even require installing. Which means the users get to experience interactive and smooth interfaces with the tap of a finger.
Note: Android Instant Apps only work on Android devices running on Android 5.0 (API level 21) or higher.
For further info about instant apps you can refer to following link
https://developer.android.com/topic/instant-apps/overview.html#apps-features
An instant app is a portion of your app that will be executed in response to an Url. This was introduced by Google year.
Google play store will download the code necessary to execute the task it is supposed to and it will dispose of the code after the user is done.
You would create an Instant apps if you mean to provide specific feature of your app that does not require the user to download the full app. Ex: watch a video on vimeo by clicking a link on social media
This apps are built using the same process you would use to develop a regular android app but instead of developing all of the features in the same module you divide the features in different modules.
This modules should be very small and have a size limit of 4MB.
Instant apps are currently limited to a few countries, so if you are thinking of developing one and putting in production check the link below for this information and others documents on how to get started.
https://developer.android.com/topic/instant-apps/overview.html
It's Instant App.
Here you have Google documentation
Related
I am looking to create a 3rd party android automotive of our currently existing android mobile application. The application will not be listed on the play store it is just for internal use. The issue that I am facing is that the SDK is limited and it seems that I can only create applications from a set of templates (Navigation, Media, Messaging). My mobile application uses its own custom map and functionalities. I checked that people used to create 3rd party apps before but google revoked access to this 3rd party sdk and that I have to ask google for access.
Can I make any apps for Android Auto?
Also, by going through the docs it's stated here "In order for your app to run on a real head unit (not the desktop head unit we provide), your app must be distributed through the Google Play Store."https://developer.android.com/training/cars/apps/auto#car-head-unit
If anyone can shed light on this whether custom apps are possible now for Android Auto and whether we have to go through the play store in order to use the app in a real head unit.
There are some issues with the wording of this question, so let's first clarify the differences between Android Auto and Android Automotive.
Android Auto is basically the projected mode. This means apps run on your phone and show on the head unit display (assuming your phone is connected to the car head unit).
Android Automotive is referred to the embedded mode. It is actually Android running as an independent OS in the head unit of the car.
So, with this in mind:
if you want to add support for Android Auto to your existing app, you can do so by using the androidx.car.app library. It provides you with some templates to build the UI/UX. This is the only way to get your app published on Google Play and distribute to other users. Even if you don't want to distribute the app on Google Play, I believe using templates is the only way to build an Android Auto app at the moment.
If what you want is to target Android Automotive, I bet you can run your current mobile app in the Android Automotive emulator. Again, here the only way to publish your app on Google Play is by relying on androidx.car.app. If you build your own UI without using those templates, your only possibility at the time of writing is to distribute it via third party app stores (or convince Google, ;p).
I have an app where users can send other users multiple choice questions. I want to know if the following is reasonable and what steps should i follow:
User A has downloaded the installable app and created a question for B. App will produce a sharable link.
B will open the link, answer the question without downloading the app.
In a scenario like this, can i use android instant apps? If not whats the best way i can do this?
I have read and tried tutorials on instant apps but couldnt find a match
Yes you can!
Instant Apps can be accessed many different ways, but primarily known through either the Try Now from your Play Store's listing and from opening associated URLs (from browser, other apps, etc.).
You want to do the former, URLs, so you'll need to setup your Instant App to handle those URLs. Handling Android App Links will guide you on how to do that, with a specific section, Create App Links for Instant Apps for Instant Apps.
Enabling this can actually let both your installable and instant app handle those URLs that your app shares.
What you can expect to happen is:
User B taps on the link shared by A
Your instant app opens and loads the correct activity/contents based on the intent-filter that's setup to handle the link
User B can then answer the question inside your instant app
Handle the results from within your instant app
You can find some samples to help you get started and become familiar with it. Though, recently, Instant Apps has been moving towards App Bundle integration (also see this) (with Android Studio 3.2, more prominently with 3.3), so this android-dynamic-features sample and its project structure/setup might be a bit more relevant (if you'll notice the instant modules).
Note: the App Bundle part is actually optional, it's the move to Dynamic Delivery and its the newer plugin: com.android.dynamic-feature vs com.android.feature.
According to this doc : https://developer.android.com/topic/instant-apps/overview.html#features
In case I want to make a modular app with installable feature, can I use instant app to imitate the behavior of a module ? I want a base app with very basic features and installable modules to fit perfectly the needs of users. It could be a plus if modules can be found on the play store too.
Thanks if you have more info about it or if Google have another way to archieve this :)
As per my understanding, Instant Apps is basically the main installable-app broken down to lite-modularized apps that are accessed via URLs and loaded automatically without the need to go to the Play Store to install the entire app. For more understanding please also have a look at
Overview of Android Instant Apps and Introduction to Android Instant Apps (Google I/O '17)
As from Google I/O 2016 key note, Google has Introduced Android Instant Apps
This is pretty clear from the description that it is going to be possible to download a part of application (that is stream?) when it will be out for the developers to try it.
Couple of posts like This one quotes about Instant Apps :
While this is different from Google's efforts to do app streaming inside search, it's in the same spirit — and gives Google similar access to previously walled-off data inside apps.
I am wondering how it is different from app streaming if the app is going to be installed partially with Android Instant Apps?
Any additional information about this new leap in android development will be helpful.
A module of the app gets downloaded inside a sandbox. As the user navigates to the boundaries of the app more app modules will be downloaded. You as a developer will need to determine when to prompt the user to download the full app. Note that the app state inside the sandbox will not automatically be transferred over when the user downloads the full app. Furthermore, whilst the instant app module(s) will be cached inside the sandbox there is no guaranteed persistence.
Android Instant Apps enables native Android applications to run in response to launching a URL, without installing the app. Instant apps can use many Android APIs and you use Android Studio to build them.
How do they work? When Google Play receives a request for a URL that matches an instant app, it sends the necessary code files to the Android device that sent the request. The device then runs the app.
Note: Android Instant Apps only work on Android devices running on Android 5.0 (API level 21) or higher.
Reference Android Instant Apps
As shown in Google IO 2016 about Instant App, how to enable it in our application? And at which place or how to identify the screen for which Instant app should be enabled?
On top of this how difficult it would be for an application without deep links to convert it to one?
Android Instant Apps is now open to all developers and the documentation is here
For App Links and enabling Instant Apps, watch this video from Google I/O (disclosure: I am co-presenting).
Basically, an Instant App takes your installable app and divide it into feature modules, each one has their own APKs and are accessible by URLs . To do that you'll have to make them addressable by using the Android App Links.
As of today (2016 / 05 / 19), the instant app feature is not publicably available.
You can visit an explanation page, click the "I am interested" link, and fill in the form. If your product is selected, they will help add the feature.
So far, the alternative is wait until its "polished" enough for market uses, and added to Android Studio, or Maven or any other repository, along with its documentation.
In terms of implementation it will depend on how modular your code is. Each instant app module has a limit of 4mb in size. You'll have to build some server side infrastructure if you want to persist the instant app session when the user downloads the full app.