Android Stage - Day 1 (Google I/O 2025)

Key Concepts

Jetpack Compose, Autofill API, Text Autosizing, AnimateBounds Modifier, Visibility Tracking (OnLayoutRectChanged, OnVisibilityChanged, OnFirstVisible), Compose Performance Optimization (Pauseable Composition, Offloading Text Measurements, Lazy List Prefetching), Compose Stability (Google Apps Testing, Experimental API Cleanup), Navigation 3, Compose Support for CameraX and Media3, Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 Support), Gemini in Android Studio, Android 16 Release Cycle, Credential Manager (Digital Credentials Verification, Restore Credentials API), Privacy Sandbox, Android Advanced Protection Mode, Theft Protection with Identity Check, Health Connect (Medical Records API, Medical Data Source API, Background Reads, History Reads), Runtime Performance (R8 Optimizer, UIAutomator API), Battery Performance (Excessive Wakelocks Metric, Set Expedited Migration), Adaptive Apps (SDK 36 Changes), Wear OS (Watch Face Push, Health Permissions Granularity, Wear OS 6 Developer Preview), Material 3 Expressive, System UI (Live Updates, Widgets on Lock Screen, Widget Metrics API, Jetpack Glance), Edge-to-Edge, Predictive Back, CameraX and Media3 Enhancements (Built-in Effects, Google Low Light Boost Library, PreloadManager API, Native PCM Audio Offload), GenAI API, Gemini Live API, Home APIs, Google Play Console Redesign, Prereview Checks, Halting Live Releases, Quality Issues Panel, Low Memory Kill Metric, Excessive Wakelocks Metric, Asset Library, Store Listing Open Metrics, Purchase Optimization (Biometrics Consent, Proactive Payment Setup, Local Currencies, AI-Driven Payment Method Suggestions, Cart Abandonment Reminders), Play Billing Library 8.0, Play Integrity API (Stronger Verdicts, Security Update Check, Device Recall), Curated Spaces, Topic Browse Pages, Content Search (Where to Watch), Hero Carousel, YouTube Playlist Carousel, Audio Samples, Engage SDK (Collections, Continuation Journeys, Recommendation Clusters, Featured Cluster), Multi-Product Checkout for Subscriptions, Subscription Benefit Showcasing, Grace Periods, Account Holds, Backup Payment Methods, Google Play Games on PC, Custom Keyboard Controls, Play Points on PC, Native PC Program, Earnback Program, Play Games Services (PGS) (Recall API, Achievements, Quests, PGS Version 2 Migration).

Developer Productivity with Jetpack Compose

• Jetpack Compose Adoption: Compose is now the recommended UI toolkit for Android, with 60% of the top 1,000 apps using it in production.
• Autofill API: Implemented in the latest stable version of Compose, allowing users to automatically fill form fields. Uses semantics modifiers with contentType property to define the role of text fields (e.g., username, password). An alpha modifier contentType simplifies this with one line of code.
• Text Autosizing: Achieved by adding the autoSize parameter to the Text composable, configurable with minimum and maximum font sizes and granularity.
• AnimateBounds Modifier: Animates both the size and position of a composable within its container, similar to animateContentSize but operating in a LookaheadScope.
• Visibility Tracking:
  • OnLayoutRectChanged: A low-level API for tracking a composable's position within the screen or window, allowing for throttling and debouncing.
  • OnVisibilityChanged: A higher-level API (in alpha) that provides a callback when the visibility of a composable changes (enters or exits the viewport), useful for automatically playing/pausing videos.
  • OnFirstVisible: Another higher-level API (in alpha) for impression tracking, providing a callback when a composable has been in view for a certain amount of time.
• Performance Improvements: Upgrading Compose versions significantly reduces jank rates. An internal benchmark project showed a reduction from 2% jank on a Pixel 3 with 2023 Compose versions to less than 0.1% with the latest stable version.
• Compose Stability: Google apps (Photos, Maps, Drive) are using Compose in production, with a daily update cycle for internal Compose versions, ensuring early bug detection.
• Experimental API Cleanup: A 32% reduction in experimental APIs, increasing to 66% in Foundation and Compose UI, to enhance API surface stability.
• Navigation 3: A new artifact for easier navigation in Compose apps, built with Compose, supporting transitions, predictive back, shared element transitions, and customizable back stack control.
• Compose Support for CameraX and Media3: Building blocks from the ground up for camera and media experiences, offering full control over camera and media interactions. Example: Using PlayerSurface composable from Media3 for video rendering and implementing a custom play/pause button.

Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP)

• KMP Adoption: Significant growth in KMP libraries, with 900 new libraries published last year.
• Jetpack Library Support: Expanding KMP support in Jetpack libraries, including Room, DataStore, Collections, Safe State, ViewModel, Lifecycle, and Paging.
• Platform Tiers:
  • Tier 1: Android, iOS, and JVM (full support).
  • Tier 2 and Tier 3: Varying lower levels of support.
• Getting Started: New code labs and a KMP module template in Android Studio to facilitate sharing business logic across platforms.

Android 16 and Building Excellent Apps

• Android 16 Release Cycle: Actual release coming very soon, with a minor SDK release at the end of the year (new APIs only).
• Traffic Light System:
  • Green: New feature or API (optional update).
  • Orange: Required change when updating targetSdkVersion.
  • Red: Required change regardless of targetSdkVersion.

Safe Apps

• Credential Manager:
  • Digital Credentials Verification: Verifies IDs for content checks and academic degrees, built into the Get Credentials flow.
  • Restore Credentials API: Auto-authenticates users on new devices, improving engagement.
• Privacy Sandbox: Isolates 3P code (or any sensitive logic) in a dedicated runtime environment, requiring explicit data sharing between the runtime and the app. New learning pathway available.
• Android Advanced Protection Mode: A suite of security features that users can toggle on, potentially affecting app behavior. Requires UX integration if affected.
• Theft Protection with Identity Check: Enforces extra biometric security for sensitive user actions in untrusted locations.

Performant Apps

• Runtime Performance:
  • R8 Optimizer: Enable minifyEnabled for improved startup and runtime performance.
  • UIAutomator API: Automates UI for writing benchmark tests.
• Battery Performance:
  • Excessive Wakelocks Metric: A new core Android Vitals metric for battery drain, impacted by job execution duration.
  • Set Expedited Migration: Migrate from setImportantWhileForeground to setExpedited for SDK 36.

Adaptive Apps

• SDK 36 Changes: For devices larger than 600dp, certain manifest tags (screen orientation, resizable activities, aspect ratios) will be ignored. Requires explicit handling of activity recreation.
• Wear OS:
  • Watch Face Push: Creates watch face mobile marketplace apps using cloud storage.
  • Health Permissions Granularity: More granular health permissions for users.
  • Wear OS 6 Developer Preview: Available in Android Studio, leveraging Material 3 Expressive.

Delightful Apps

• Material 3 Expressive: An expansion pack for Material 3 with new components, style updates, and motion physics. Fully compatible with existing M3 features.
• System UI:
  • Live Updates: A notification-based paradigm for critical, time-sensitive tasks, using a new "Progress Style" notification template.
  • Widgets: Bringing widgets back to the lock screen (HubMode), boosting widget discoverability on Google Play, and introducing a new Widget Metrics API. Jetpack Glance 1.2 available in alpha.
• Edge-to-Edge: Starting with Android 16, no opt-out option. Ensure app content is not obscured by system bars.
• Predictive Back: Enabled by default for back-to-home, cross-apps, and cross-activities. Migrate to supported back navigation APIs or use a temporary opt-out flag.
• CameraX and Media3 Enhancements:
  • Built-in Effects: Seamlessly work together with the effects framework.
  • Google Low Light Boost Library: Extends auto-exposure to more devices using computational photography and ML.
  • PreloadManager API: In Jetpack Media3, preloads multiple media sources for optimized short-form video playback.
  • Native PCM Audio Offload: In Android 16, offloads audio processing to dedicated hardware (DSP) for better battery performance.

Helpful Apps (Intelligent Experiences)

• GenAI API: Uses Gemini Nano on-device for common text and image tasks.
• Gemini Live API: Real-time interactive experience with bidirectional audio streaming, available in app code using Firebase.
• Home APIs: Bringing Gemini capabilities to home APIs for smart home automations and camera experiences.

Google Play: Tools and Insights for Growth

• App Dashboard Redesign: Essential insights grouped into four key developer objectives: Monitor and Improve, Test and Release, Grow Your Audience, and Build Powerful Monetization Strategies.
• Prereview Checks: New checks for incorrect edge-to-edge rendering and large layout issues.
• Halting Live Releases: Ability to halt fully live releases directly from the console and publishing API.
• Quality Issues Panel: Surfaces quality issues and recommendations to fix issues impacting the latest release.
• Low Memory Kill Metric: Tracks when the app is closed by the system due to low memory.
• Excessive Wakelocks Metric: A leading cause for battery drain.
• Asset Library: Upload files directly from Google Drive, organize and search for assets using tags, and crop assets.
• Store Listing Open Metrics: See opens and open rates covering everything from initial engagement to installs and ongoing engagement.

Google Play Commerce: Maximizing Revenue

• Purchase Optimization:
  • Biometrics Consent: Integrated into device setup.
  • Proactive Payment Setup: Prompts in high-visibility areas.
  • Local Currencies: Support for over 300 local payment methods in 65+ markets.
  • AI-Driven Payment Method Suggestions: Suggests the right payment method at the right time.
  • Cart Abandonment Reminders: Recaptures potential lost revenue.
• Results:
  • Over 700 million purchase-ready users on Google Play.
  • Global conversion rates are up 3% this year.
  • Over 7% increase in new paying users in 2025.
  • Over $240 million in incremental global consumer spend.
• Play Billing Library 8.0: Upgrade to unlock the power of Play's billing platform.

Google Play: Security and Trust

• Play Integrity API: Prevents abuse, leading to revenue loss and harm to the user base. Developers using the API are seeing over 80% lower unauthorized usage.
  • Stronger Verdicts: Faster, more reliable, and more privacy-friendly checks for device trustworthiness.
  • Security Update Check: Checks if a device has recently installed a security update.
  • Device Recall: Detects if a device is being reused for abuse, even after a device is reset or an app is uninstalled and then reinstalled.

Google Play: Enhancing User Discovery

• Curated Spaces: Help users discover more app content relevant to their interests.
• Topic Browse Pages: Present focused, relevant, visually engaging content on a specific topic.
• Content Search (Where to Watch): Helps users find where to watch movies and TV shows.
• Hero Carousel: Add a hero carousel to show off the best content at the top of the listing page.
• YouTube Playlist Carousel: Feature a YouTube playlist carousel directly on the store listing page.
• Audio Samples: Offer users a brief escape into the audio sample.

Google Play: Expanding Beyond the Store

• Engage SDK: A unified solution to engage users with personalized content across multiple surfaces.
  • Collections: A full-screen immersive surface that brings content directly to users' home screens.
    • Continuation Journeys: Allows users to pick up where they left off within the app.
    • Recommendation Clusters: Attract users back to the apps with personalized content.
    • Featured Cluster: Spotlights hero content in a larger, more premium UI placement.
• Engage SDK Expansion:
  • Bringing Engage SDK content to the Play Store this summer.
  • Expanding Engage SDK to new categories, starting with Travel.
  • Collections is expanding globally to all Google Play markets.

Google Play: Subscriptions

• Multi-Product Checkout for Subscriptions: Sell subscription add-ons right alongside base subscriptions, all with a single, aligned payment schedule.
• Subscription Benefit Showcasing: Showcases subscription benefits in more places across Play.
• Grace Periods and Account Holds: Choose any grace period of up to 30 days and account hold days of up to 60 days.
• Backup Payment Methods: Enables users to manage multiple backup forms of payment at the Google Account level.

Google Play Games

• Google Play Games on PC: Lets players enjoy Android mobile games on PC.
  • All mobile games will be available on PC by default (opt-out available).
  • Ability to add custom keyboard controls.
  • Play Points will work more seamlessly on PC.
  • Dedicated SDK for native PC game development.
  • Streamlined distribution processes on Play Console.
  • New Earnback Program: Bring PC games to the platform to unlock up to 15% additional earnback.
• Play Games Services (PGS):
  • Recall API: Makes PGS work better with existing identity systems.
  • Achievements: New search filter to help players find games with achievements.
  • Quests: Generate achievement-based quests to reward gamers with Play Points.
  • PGS Version 2 Migration: Offers faster sign-in and more powerful features.

Conclusion

The presentation highlights Google's commitment to empowering developers with tools, insights, and platform enhancements to build successful and engaging app and game businesses. Key takeaways include the increasing adoption and performance improvements of Jetpack Compose, the expansion of Kotlin Multiplatform support, the proactive measures to enhance user safety and privacy, the evolution of Google Play into a content-rich discovery engine, and the expansion of Google Play Games to PC. The focus on monetization, with proactive interventions to get users purchase-ready and the optimization of subscription models, underscores Google's dedication to helping developers maximize their revenue potential.