Not being able to open an app on our smartphones during an update can be frustrating at times. Fortunately, Google is working to solve this problem. As the company itself revealed, app developers will have access to a new Application Programming Interface (API) that allows users to continue using the app while downloading the update in the background.
Specifically, the In-app Updates API will provide developers with two options related to the update process. On one hand, there will be the full-screen update experience, which will prohibit the use of the app during the update installation. This option is recommended by Google for important updates, such as bug fixes.
More interesting is the option referred to by Google as a flexible update. When enabled by developers, users will be able to continue using the app without any interruptions during the download and installation of the update. Once the process is complete, we will receive a notification indicating that we need to restart the app. Additionally, developers can customize these notifications to fit the design of their apps.
At this stage, we cannot deny that this is a very interesting and important feature, especially in those cases where the update takes a long time to install and prevents us from accessing a crucial app. Google introduced this new API at the Android Dev conference, also confirming Android support for foldable devices.
Specifically, the In-app Updates API will provide developers with two options related to the update process. On one hand, there will be the full-screen update experience, which will prohibit the use of the app during the update installation. This option is recommended by Google for important updates, such as bug fixes.
More interesting is the option referred to by Google as a flexible update. When enabled by developers, users will be able to continue using the app without any interruptions during the download and installation of the update. Once the process is complete, we will receive a notification indicating that we need to restart the app. Additionally, developers can customize these notifications to fit the design of their apps.
At this stage, we cannot deny that this is a very interesting and important feature, especially in those cases where the update takes a long time to install and prevents us from accessing a crucial app. Google introduced this new API at the Android Dev conference, also confirming Android support for foldable devices.
