What’s new in Android Growth Instruments

Posted by Mayank Jain – Product Supervisor, Android Studio

At Google I/O 2024, we introduced an thrilling new set of options and instruments aimed toward making Android growth quicker and simpler. We additionally shared updates to Android Studio that may aid you leverage AI and make it simpler so that you can construct prime quality apps for Android throughout the Android ecosystem.

You possibly can try the What’s new in Android Developer Instruments session at Google I/O 2024 to see among the new options in motion or higher but, attempt them out your self by downloading Android Studio Koala 🐨 Function Drop within the preview launch channel. Right here’s a take a look at our bulletins:

Leverage Gemini in Android Studio

Since launching AI options in Android Studio final 12 months, we proceed to evolve our underlying fashions, combine your suggestions, and increase availability to extra international locations and territories in an effort to leverage AI in your workflow and develop into a extra productive Android app developer. Utilizing the built-in AI privateness controls, you possibly can choose in to utilizing the most recent AI function enhancements which are tailor-made in your Android app undertaking.

Code options with Gemini in Android Studio

Now you can present customized prompts for Gemini in Android Studio to generate code options. After you allow Gemini from the View > Device Home windows > Gemini device window, right-click within the code editor and choose Gemini > Rework chosen code from the context menu to see the immediate discipline. You possibly can then immediate Gemini to generate a code suggestion that both provides new code or transforms chosen code. You possibly can ask Gemini to simplify advanced code by rewriting it, carry out very particular code transformations reminiscent of “make this code idiomatic,” or generate new capabilities you describe. Android Studio then reveals you Gemini’s code suggestion as a code diff, in an effort to evaluate and settle for solely the options you need.

Gemini for suggestions on crash reviews

App High quality Insights in Android Studio seamlessly incorporates each Firebase Crashlytics and Android Vitals information into Android Studio so you possibly can entry crucial app stability associated info, with out having to change instruments.

Now you can use Gemini in Android Studio to investigate your crash reviews, generate insights that are proven within the Gemini device window, present a crash abstract, and when doable advocate subsequent steps, together with pattern code and hyperlinks to related documentation.

You possibly can generate all of this info instantly from the App High quality Insights device window in Android Studio after you allow Gemini from View > Device Home windows > Gemini.

Combine Gemini API into your app with a starter template

Begin prototyping with Gemini fashions in your apps with our new starter app template offered in Android Studio. On this app template, you possibly can situation prompts on to the Gemini API, add picture sources as enter, and show the responses on the display. Moreover, use Google AI Studio to craft customized prompts in your app.

If you find yourself able to scale your AI options to manufacturing with Google Cloud infrastructure, you can even entry the highly effective capabilities of Gemini fashions by way of Vertex AI. That is Google’s fully-managed growth platform designed for constructing and deploying generative AI. Whether or not you merely want world class inference capabilities, or wish to construct end-to-end AI workflows with Vertex, the Gemini API is a superb answer.

Gemini 1.5 Professional coming to Android Studio

We beforehand introduced that Gemini in Android Studio makes use of the Gemini 1.0 Professional mannequin that can assist you by answering Android growth questions, producing code, discovering assets, or explaining finest practices. On this preview stage of Gemini in Android Studio, we’re providing Gemini 1.0 Professional at no-cost for all customers for now. Gemini 1.0 Professional is a flexible mannequin, making it superb to scale. Nevertheless we acknowledge that its high quality of responses could also be restricted in some instances. Primarily based in your suggestions, we’re dedicated to bettering the standard for Android growth, and excited so as to add extra options utilizing Gemini to make your developer expertise much more productive.

Alongside this journey, the Gemini 1.5 Professional mannequin can be coming to Android Studio later this 12 months. Geared up with a Massive Context Window, this mannequin notably results in larger high quality responses, and unlocks use instances like multimodal enter that you simply may need seen within the Google I/O 2024 periods. Keep tuned for extra updates on how one can entry extra succesful fashions in Android Studio.

Productiveness enhancements

Launch Monitoring with Firebase

At present we introduced the overall availability of the Firebase Launch Monitoring Dashboard. The Firebase Launch Monitoring Dashboard is a single dashboard powered by Firebase Crashlytics to watch your most up-to-date manufacturing releases of your Android app. It updates in actual time to provide you a high-level view of crucial launch metrics, like crash-free periods, comparisons, and benchmarking primarily based in your earlier releases.

Android System Streaming

Android System Streaming, powered by Firebase, permits you to securely connect with distant bodily Android units hosted in Google’s information facilities. It’s a handy technique to take a look at your app in opposition to bodily models of among the newest Android units, together with the Google Pixel 8 and eight Professional, Pixel Fold, and extra.

Beginning at the moment, Android System Streaming now contains the next units, along with the portfolio of 20+ system fashions already obtainable:

• Samsung Galaxy Fold5
• Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely
• Google Pixel 8a

Moreover, when you’re new to Firebase, Android Studio robotically creates and units up a no-cost Firebase undertaking for you once you sign up to Koala Function Drop to make use of System Streaming. So, you will get to streaming the system you want a lot quicker. Be taught extra about Android System Streaming quotas, together with promotional quota for the Firebase Blaze plan initiatives obtainable for a restricted time.

USB cable velocity detection

Do you know that USB cable bandwidth varies from 480 Mbps (USB-2) to as much as 40,000 Mbps (USB-4)? Android Studio Koala Function Drop now makes it trivial to distinguish low performing USB cables from the excessive performing ones.

If you join an Android system, Android Studio robotically detects the system and USB cable bandwidth and warns you if there’s a mismatch in USB bandwidth.

Be aware: USB cable velocity detection requires an up to date ADB present in Android SDK Platform Instruments v34+, and is at the moment obtainable for macOS and Linux.

A brand new technique to sign up with Google in Android Studio

It’s now simpler to sign up to a number of Google companies with one authentication step. Whether or not you wish to use Gemini in Android Studio, Firebase for Android System Streaming, Google Play for Android Vitals reviews, or all these helpful companies, the brand new sign up move makes it simpler to stand up and working. In case you’re new to Firebase and wish to use Android System Streaming, Android Studio robotically creates a undertaking for you, so you possibly can shortly begin streaming an actual bodily Firebase system. With granular permissions scoping, you’ll all the time be in command of which companies have entry to your account. To get began, simply click on the profile avatar and sign up together with your developer account.

System UI setting shortcut

Utilizing the system UI setting shortcut, now you can effortlessly configure your units to desired settings associated to darkish theme, font measurement, show measurement, app language, and extra, all instantly by way of the Operating Units window. Now you can take a look at and debug your UI seamlessly for any of the doable eventualities required by your use case.

Quicker and improved Profiler with a task-centric strategy

The internals of the Android Studio Profiler have been dramatically improved. Well-liked profiling duties like capturing a system hint with profileable apps now begin as much as 60% quicker.*

We’ve redesigned the profiler to make it simpler to start out the duty you’re considering, whether or not it’s profiling your app’s CPU, reminiscence, or energy utilization. For instance, initiating a system hint activity to profile and enhance your app’s startup time is built-in proper within the UI as you open the profiler.

Google Play SDK Index integration

Android Studio is built-in with the Google Play SDK Index to tell when there are recognized coverage or model points with SDKs utilized by your app. This allows you to replace these dependencies and keep away from points that might forestall you from publishing new variations of your app.

Within the Android Studio Koala Function Drop launch, the mixing has been expanded to additionally embrace warnings from the Google Play SDK Console. This provides you an entire view of any potential model or coverage points in your dependencies earlier than submitting your app to the Google Play Console.

Notes from SDK authors are actually additionally displayed instantly in Android Studio to avoid wasting you time.

Preview tiles for Put on OS apps

Android Studio now has preview help for Tiles. Now you can iterate a lot faster when creating tiles, enabling you to shortly see what a Tile seems like on completely different configurations without having to run it on a tool.

Generate artificial sensor information for testing on Put on OS apps

To assist simulate actual life eventualities now you can generate artificial (faux) information for a Put on OS emulator for well being associated sensors reminiscent of coronary heart fee, velocity, steps, and extra. You are actually in a position to arrange and carry out testing for a multi-sport coaching session in minutes, end-to-end in Android Studio, with out ever leaving your desk.

Compose Look widget previews

Android Studio Koala Function Drop makes it straightforward to preview your Jetpack Compose Look widgets (1.1.0-rc01) instantly inside the IDE. Catch potential UI points and fine-tune your widget’s look early within the growth course of. Be taught extra about the right way to get began.

Reside Edit for Compose enabled by default

Reside Edit for Compose can speed up your Compose growth expertise by robotically deploying code modifications to the working utility on an emulator or bodily system. Reside Edit will help you see the impact of updates to UX parts—for instance new composables, modifier updates, and animations—on the general app expertise. As you develop into extra acquainted with Reside Edit you will discover many inventive methods it could actually assist enhance your growth expertise and productiveness.

In Android Studio Koala Function Drop, Reside Edit is enabled by default in handbook mode and has elevated stability and extra sturdy change detection, together with help for import statements.

Compose preview screenshot testing plugin (alpha)

Host-side screenshot testing is a simple and highly effective technique to take a look at UIs and forestall regressions. At present, the primary alpha model of the Compose Preview Screenshot Testing plugin is on the market as a separate plugin, for use along with AGP 8.5.0-beta01 or larger. Add your Compose Previews to the src/fundamental/screenshotTest folder and run the duty to generate a diff report after UI updates. The generated HTML take a look at report permits you to visually detect any modifications to your app’s UI.

This alpha model of the plugin is designed for fast iteration and suggestions. We plan to merge it again into AGP sooner or later, however for now, this separate plugin lets us experiment and enhance the function shortly. Be taught extra about the right way to get began.