Kseniia Shumelchyk, Android Developer Relations Engineer, and Garan Jenkin, Android Developer Relations Engineer
Put on OS has seen unimaginable progress and developments over the previous 12 months. With watch launches from Pixel, Samsung and extra, Put on OS grew its consumer base by 40% in 2023 and has customers in over 160 nations and areas. And Put on OS has expanded to extra manufacturers together with OnePlus, OPPO and Xiaomi. This progress has been accompanied by heavy investments in efficiency and energy optimization.
On this weblog submit, we’ll be highlighting a few of the key updates we introduced at Google I/O this 12 months, so let’s dive in and discover the newest developments in Put on OS and how one can benefit from the platform.
Put on OS 5 Developer Preview
We’re excited to be releasing the Developer Preview of Put on OS 5, the following model of Google’s smartwatch platform arriving later this 12 months, primarily based on Android 14. Central to our launch of Put on OS 5 is constant to reinforce battery life.
Put on OS 5 brings efficiency enhancements over Put on OS 4. Monitoring your exercise is now extra environment friendly; for instance, working a marathon consumes as much as 20% much less energy on Put on OS 5 than on Put on OS 4.
That can assist you develop power-efficient apps on Put on OS, we’ve launched a new information to preserve energy and battery. Ensure to have a look!
Put on OS 5 is predicated on Android 14, which brings with it numerous developer-facing modifications. Try what’s modified and take a look at the brand new Put on OS 5 emulator to check your app for compatibility with the brand new platform model.
Modifications in Watch Faces growth
Final 12 months we launched the Watch Face Format as a part of Put on OS 4, and we’ve had a implausible response, with 30% of watch faces in Google Play already utilizing the format. It’s been nice to see what you’ve all been capable of create to date utilizing the Watch Face Format!
We’re excited to convey you the following iteration of the Watch Face Format with Put on OS 5.
Moreover, we’re saying some modifications to current watch face growth utilizing Jetpack Watch Face APIs. Ranging from Put on OS 5, we’re introducing restrictions to problems for watch faces constructed with AndroidX or the Wearable Assist Library that may apply to some information sources, in addition to Google Play publishing limitations to new watch faces constructed with these libraries.
Try the Watch Faces weblog submit for full particulars on the brand new options in Watch Face Format and modifications to look at faces growth choices.
Tooling and library updates
Jetpack Compose for Put on OS
Adoption of Compose on Put on OS has grown 200% up to now 12 months, highlighting the convenience with which Compose permits builders to construct for the watch kind issue. Not too long ago we’ve seen high apps similar to WhatsApp, Gmail and Google Calendar constructed fully utilizing Compose for Put on OS, and it’s the advisable approach for constructing consumer interfaces for Put on OS apps.
With the 1.3 launch of Jetpack Compose for Put on OS, we’ve graduated numerous visible enhancements and fixes from beta to steady.
Previously 12 months, we’ve added options similar to SwipeToReveal, to present customers extra means for finishing actions, an expandable merchandise, to reinforce the usage of the smaller display and present extra info the place wanted, and a spread of WearPreview supporting annotations, for making certain your app works optimally throughout the vary of machine sizes and font scales.
And at Google I/O 2024, we introduced plenty of new updates with Jetpack Compose that make it easier to construct throughout kind elements, together with Put on OS, learn extra in this weblog and take a look at how SoundCloud supported extra screens utilizing 45% much less code with Jetpack Compose.
Tiles and ProtoLayout
Put on OS tiles give customers quick, predictable entry to the data and actions they depend on most. Model 1.4 of the Jetpack Tiles library, at present in alpha, introduces preview assist for Android Studio that can assist you rapidly iterate in your Tile growth whereas additionally serving to you create optimal-looking tiles on a spread of show sizes.
Previews might be seen beginning in Android Studio Koala Function Drop (Canary), with the next dependencies:
- androidx.put on.tiles:tiles-tooling-preview:1.4.0-alpha02+
- androidx.put on.tiles:tiles-tooling:1.4.0-alpha02+
- androidx.put on:wear-tooling-preview:1.0.0+
@Preview(machine = WearDevices.SMALL_ROUND)
enjoyable smallPreview(context: Context) = TilePreviewData(
onTileRequest = { request ->
TilePreviewHelper.singleTimelineEntryTileBuilder(
buildMyTileLayout()
).construct()
}
)
We’ve additionally launched higher means to your app to find out whether or not your tiles are in use, by the getActiveTilesAsync() technique.
Inside ProtoLayout’s steady model 1.1, as utilized by Tiles, we’ve launched numerous modifications, similar to the next:
And from 1.2.0-alpha02, we’ve made it simpler to your layouts to regulate appropriately for various show sizes by including the setResponsiveContentInsetEnabled() technique to PrimaryLayout, in addition to updating it for EdgeContentLayout. To make use of this setter, replace your code as follows:
PrimaryLayout.Builder(deviceParameters)
.setResponsiveContentInsetEnabled(true)
.setContent(
// ...
)
.construct()
Simpler testing for health apps
Android Studio Koala Function Drop (Canary) brings a brand new sensor panel to make it simpler to check use of Well being Providers in your Put on OS app. The panel means that you can configure capabilities of the machine, set values of particular information varieties and stimulate occasions similar to auto-pause and resume of workout routines.
Try this weblog to be taught extra about tooling updates.
Bigger Shows
With the momentum surrounding Put on OS, we’re seeing a greater diversity of spherical display sizes and resolutions, which supplies extra decisions for the consumer.
We’re releasing new tips on easy methods to construct responsive UIs for various watch show sizes, in addition to updates to current libraries to introduce adaptive layouts, and parts.
Try the ComposeStarter pattern for Put on OS on Github to see easy methods to benefit from these updates in your app. Moreover, we’ve up to date the pattern to supply examples of utilizing instruments to guage your layouts, together with :
- Previews – demonstrating use of WearPreviewDevices to visualise your layouts on a full vary of machine sizes and font scaling settings.
- Screenshot testing – serving to you detect points and regressions in your layouts on completely different sized units, with completely different font scales and locales, consultant of real-world units.
Begin constructing for Put on OS now
There has by no means been a greater time to begin constructing for Put on OS! You’ll want to try Constructing for the way forward for Put on OS technical session to be taught extra about all the newest updates for Put on OS!
To get began:
We’re trying ahead to seeing the experiences that you simply construct on Put on OS!
