News for Android App Developers: Google Revises Android App Development Guidelines

While trying to enhance Android applications' security and by and large execution, Google has thought of reexamined Android app Development rules. Home to 3.5 million applications, the Google Play Store currently makes a stride promote for securing applications to represent better client encounter. 

Android app development companies and dedicated Android developers are trying to understand the revised guidelines issued by Google. Let’s learn about it in detail

3 Updates From Google for Android App Developers

Android developers need to update themselves with 3 major changes from Google that support their future goals:

• Existing apps will need to update as per recent API level. With this mandate, Google plans to revise all apps on its Play Store to come along the same lines. This rule is supposed to apply from November 2018.

• The Google Play Store expects all apps to update with native libraries and 64-bit versions by August 2019.

• 2018 will see the addition of security metadata to the existing APK to improvise privacy and authenticity of each app. Developers need not worry about this change.

Google Tries to Synchronize Android Development Ecosystem

Google is hoping to help and streamline crafted by the app developers in UK who make the whole biological community of applications. The ongoing three updates from Google go along similar lines that enable Android designers to design their future application discharges helpfully 

Google needs all designers to be refreshed on the reexamined standards and standards. Accordingly, the organization will issue a progression of declarations as a suggestion to engineers. The declaration of the overhauled rules gives a decent measure of time for designers to refresh themselves on the new guidelines and grow new applications in like manner.

Effective Changes to Android Apps

As per the first change announced by the company, “the Google Play Console will require that apps target a recent API level.” This step ensures that developers build secure apps and avoid Android users falling prey to malware attacks. To be more specific, have a look at the detailed API guidelines below:

• Existing app updates are required to target API level 26 or higher from November 2018.

• TargetSdkVersion would advance with each new release of the Android operating system. With this, new apps and existing app updates will need to target the corresponding level of API or higher.

Coming to the second announcement by Google, the company insists that new apps, as well as existing ones, use native libraries that provide a 64-bit version in addition to the 32-bit version. Support for 64-bit architecture was introduced with the release of Android 5.0, and as of now, 40% of Android smartphones come with this configuration. The release of a 64-bit version would account for delivering improved performance of applications. 

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Google Play Badge of Authenticity

A small amount of security metadata over an API will add to the authenticity of Android apps. Such metadata on top of each APK file is a symbol that it is officially distributed by Google. This is kind of an official label from Google to signify a product’s authenticity.

Android developers need not worry about the addition of this metadata as no action is needed from their side. Google will add the metadata into the APK Signing Block in a way that it does not hamper the functionality of an app.

Conclusion

Google sets high goals for Android developers in the year 2018 with revised guidelines. Developers can expect much more in the year 2018 in terms of growth in the Play Store. All the announcements are aimed towards making Google Play Store home to more secure, reliable, and trustworthy apps that offer a good user experience. Developers can expect more revisions and additions in the future event of Google I/O 2018.