Posted by Kseniia Shumelchyk, Android Developer Relations Engineer and Kevin Hufnagle, Android Technical Author
Google Pixel Watch 2 is right here and brings the capabilities of Put on OS 4 to customers; get your app prepared for the newest software program and units!
We’re excited to carry Put on OS 4 and new person experiences to extra units, together with the brand new Google Pixel Watch 2! We’re additionally offering up to date developer instruments so that you can put together your apps for Put on OS 4.
Later this yr, Pixel Watches will obtain a system replace to Put on OS 4, additional increasing the set of customers who can get pleasure from your app’s capabilities on the newest software program.
Builders may also proceed to make use of Samsung Galaxy Watches to check their apps on Put on OS 4.
The most recent model of Put on OS provides a number of capabilities that make it simpler to develop reliable, useful wearable experiences:
Watch Face Format
Created in partnership with Samsung, the Watch Face Format is a declarative XML format that permits you to design the looks and conduct of watch faces. There isn’t a executable code concerned in making a watch face utilizing the Watch Face Format, and there can be no code embedded in your watch face APK.
The Put on OS platform takes care of the logic wanted to render the watch face that makes use of the Watch Face Format. Because of this you don’t have to fret about code optimizations or battery efficiency. We advocate that you just create your watch face utilizing the Watch Face Format.
Extra seamless information switch
On units that help cloud backup—together with Pixel Watch 2 and Pixel Watch—customers can switch information from one Put on OS watch to a different utilizing a cloud backup and restore course of. You possibly can customise the set of information in your app that the system ought to embrace in a cloud backup, in order that customers solely restore app information that’s significant to them.
Moreover, Put on OS 4 permits customers to switch their watch to a brand new cellphone without having to carry out a manufacturing facility reset on the watch. They full this course of when establishing the brand new cellphone, as proven within the following move under.
In case your app shops person configuration information for the watch on the previous cellphone, you possibly can enable the system to switch this app information onto the brand new cellphone too. The information on tips on how to switch Put on OS information to a brand new cellular gadget has extra particulars.
Enhanced Tiles
Put on OS 4 provides enhanced capabilities on your app’s tiles. Model 1.2 of the Jetpack Tiles library introduces help for platform information bindings and animations, so you possibly can present much more responsive experiences to your customers.
Get your app prepared for Put on OS 4
Put on OS 4 is predicated on Android 13, which is a number of variations newer than the present Put on OS model, so your app might want to deal with the system conduct modifications that take impact in Android 12 and Android 13.
Learn the developer documentation to find key conduct modifications and discover ways to work together with new options. We advocate you begin by testing your app and releasing a appropriate replace, so that you just’re prepared when the primary units get upgraded to Put on OS 4. This provides your app a fundamental however important degree of high quality that gives a great expertise for customers.
Put on OS 4 emulator
At present we’ve additionally launched up to date system photographs for Put on OS emulators, accessible beginning in Android Studio Hedgehog to assist check your apps on Put on OS 4.
The brand new Put on OS 4 emulator doesn’t help native 32-bit code, so in case your app makes use of native code, make it possible for it contains each 32-bit and 64-bit native libraries. This may even put together your app for upcoming 64-bit solely {hardware}.
Study extra
To start growing apps for Put on OS, strive our Compose for Put on OS codelab, and take a look at the documentation and samples.
Uncover much more! View the Put on OS session from Google I/O, and learn in regards to the newest Jetpack releases for Put on OS.
There’s by no means been a greater time to get your app prepared for Put on OS 4 and all the newest Put on OS watches. We will’t wait to see your apps on Put on OS 4 and what experiences you’ll construct!