While the world is slowly progressing with faster Internet connectivity, and OEMs are iteratively offering more storage space in devices, it's still hard to keep up with the rate that games and some other apps have been growing. To combat this trend, Google is introducing a new Asset Delivery API so developers can further streamline the install process for games so users can get up and running even faster and with less space used.
Read MoreHuawei's giving developers a big incentive to join its app store
Ever since Huawei saw itself caught amid the US-China trade quarrel, it has been scrambling to find a replacement for Google's ecosystem of apps. While its HMS Core is already doing a decent job as an alternative to the Google Play Services, the same can't be said about the company's AppGallery. It's missing many vital apps owners outside of China expect to have on their Android phones. To help grow this store, the company wants to incentivize developers with preferential revenue sharing for 24 months after they join the platform.
Read MoreAndroid 11 developer preview 1 adds support for soft reboots
Major Android updates always come with a host of new features and functionality, but there are countless other changes taking place behind the scenes that set the stage for more significant improvements down the road. Among the additions in Android 11, most of us will probably never care about rebooting userspace, but it may be a first step for several other bigger enhancements to come.
Read MoreAndroid Studio 3.6 now available with improved design editors and multi-display emulation support
Android Studio is the Google-recommended method of developing Android applications. The IDE receives regular updates, and just in time for the Android 11 developer preview, version 3.6 is now available in the stable branch.
Read MorePopular
Android 11 continues crackdown on restricted APIs
Starting with Android P, Google began slowly closing the door on the use of non-public APIs. The process began with method calls that had little or no known usage among app developers, but things changed when Android Q expanded the list of restricted interfaces to cover a larger selection. Now with Android 11, the crackdown continues as the Android team adds even more non-public APIs to the restricted list.
Read MoreGoogle is giving developers until the end of 2021 to adapt their apps to Android 11
When Google started testing Android 10, it quickly upset developers with far-reaching changes that would lead to broken apps once the OS would reach stable, such as Scoped Storage. That's probably one reason why the company decided to postpone the enforcement of the new file management API to Android 11, which it has just released in the form of a developer preview. To make the transition easier this time around, Google worked hard on prioritizing backward compatibility, so projects that don't target the new OS won't outright break once it's released.
Read MoreAndroid R Preview SDK shows up in Android Studio
We're always on the lookout for what's to come with the future of Android, and if you're a developer, you may want to check out Android Studio right now. The Android R Preview SDK just appeared in the SDK Manager, meaning there's likely some new stuff to poke through.
Read MoreYou can now buy Glass Enterprise Edition 2, but it’s only meant for developers
The original Google Glass Explorer Edition made a big entrance when it quite literally fell from the heavens during Google I/O 2013. While that model never really stood a chance as a consumer product, it became the starting point for Google Glass Enterprise Edition. It seems to have worked out because a second generation launched last year, and as of today, Google is expanding availability to an even larger audience... of developers.
Read MoreGoogle's new Android Flash Tool installs AOSP images on Pixels straight from your web browser
Google just released a new browser tool for developers that enjoy mucking about with AOSP (Android Open Source Project) test builds. It's called the Android Flash Tool, and it works almost entirely inside your browser, allowing you to quickly and easily pull down AOSP images and flash them to your phone. With it, developers can check app compatibility with AOSP changes, and folks mucking about in the Android source code can see their tweaks on a real device. Although it's pretty snazzy, it doesn't look like it will be any use to the root-and-ROM crowd (yet).
Read MoreGoogle's Flutter v1.12 UI framework adds support for web plugins, building macOS apps, and much more
Flutter turned out to be quite the dark horse in the development world as its approach to building interfaces to run across many different platforms has become quite popular. This concept of "ambient computing" is a big part of the Flutter Interact conference, which is in full swing right now with a bunch of big announcements. New versions of Flutter and Dart have been announced, bringing big performance improvements and new features. Partners have also been a big topic as Flutter integration is appearing in some popular tools. A few apps were even highlighted for their use of Flutter, including Google's new Stadia app for Android and iOS and Splice.
Read MoreLatest Deals
-
10
Get two Google Homes and a Nest Mini for an insanely low $99 ($148 off)
-
2
Anker's car microphone for Alexa is just $19 for today only
-
1
Samsung's dual-SIM Galaxy Note10+ is just $770 on eBay ($330 off MSRP)
-
1
Jaybird's RUN wireless earbuds can be your new workout companion for only $56
-
2
Pick up the original Samsung Galaxy Buds at their lowest-ever price of $80 at B&H ($50 off)
-
10
Latest Poll
Loading ...Recent Reviews
-
60
Hands on with Samsung's big Good Lock 2020 update (Update: Navstar is back)
-
6
Roborock S6 robotic vacuum review: Super-fine controls for cleaning your smart home
-
62
Samsung Galaxy Buds+ review: About as close to perfect as $150 earbuds can be
-
219
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review: A $1,400 phone needs to be perfect, and this one isn't
-
131
Galaxy Z Flip review: It's almost time to throw away your old, boring, non-folding phone
-
60
Latest Roundups
-
1
Take a world tour from your couch with these apps
-
13
Live CCTV camera streams show how spookily empty our whole world has become
-
12
How to make your smartphone into a pro webcam for Zoom
-
17
25 of the most relaxing puzzle games for Android phones and tablets
-
7
8 Chrome extensions that help you stay productive on your Chromebook
-
1
Recent Apps and Games
-
3
Coronavirus helped Google Classroom surpass 50 million downloads
-
47
Google Podcasts gets proper queue and bottom bar in big redesign (Update: Explore episode topics)
-
1
Take a world tour from your couch with these apps
-
9
Discord app adds bottom navigation bar in server-side test
-
0
Alex Jones's Infowars app has been kicked out of the Play Store for spreading coronavirus misinformation
-
3
Blast from the Past
-
121
1 Year Ago Today
With the Moto G7, Lenovo finally killed the G-series magic
-
106
2 Years Ago Today
[Update: It's back] Free alert: Get $15 in Target credit via Google Express just by saying three words to Assistant
-
175
3 Years Ago Today
Google disables location sharing in Google+ before enabling it for everyone in Google Maps
-
244
4 Years Ago Today
Google Is Preparing To Drop Support For The Physical Wallet Card On June 30th
-
197
5 Years Ago Today
[Shocker] Even After Launching The Nexus 6, Verizon Still Won't Officially Activate One That Wasn't Purchased From The Carrier
-
6
6 Years Ago Today
[Bonus Round] AirFighters Pro, DJMAX TECHNIKA Q, Rail Racing, And Maya The Bee
-
23
7 Years Ago Today
Ouya Hitting The Retail Scene On June 4th For $99, Will Be Available From Amazon, Best Buy, And More
-
2
8 Years Ago Today
Partake In Some Self-Reflection With Google's New Account Activity Feature, Track Your Own Data For A Change
-
18
9 Years Ago Today
[Updated] HTC Insists Android Kernel Sources May Be Published "When They Are Ready," Rather Than When Devices Are Released
-
121
