Meta's Early Adoption Empowered Enhanced Person Expertise

Posted by Terence Zhang – Developer Relations Engineer, Google; in partnership with Tina Ho – Accomplice Engineering, TPM and Kun Wang – Accomplice Engineering, Accomplice Engineer

With the primary Developer Preview of Android 15 now launched, one other new Android launch that brings new options and under-the-hood enhancements for billions of customers worldwide will probably be coming shortly. As Android builders, you’re key gamers on this evolution; by staying on high of the targetSDK improve cycle, you make certain that your customers have the absolute best expertise.

The way in which Meta, the mum or dad firm of Instagram, Fb, WhatsApp, and Messenger, approached Android 14 supplies a blueprint for each developer success and person satisfaction. Meta improved their velocity in direction of targetSDK adoption by 4x, and so to know extra about how they constructed this, we spoke to the staff at Meta, with an eye fixed in direction of insights that each one builders might construct into their testing applications.

Meta’s journey on A14: A blueprint for quicker adoption

When Android 11 launched, a few of Meta’s apps skilled challenges with present options, similar to Chat Heads, and with new necessities, like scoped storage integration. Fixing these points was sophisticated by sluggish developer tooling adoption and a decentralized app technique. This expertise motivated Meta to create an inner Android OS Readiness Program which focuses on prioritizing early and thorough testing all through the Android launch window and accelerating their apps’ targetSDK adoption.

This system formally launched final yr. By compiling apps in opposition to every Android 14 beta and conducting thorough automated and smoke assessments to proactively establish potential points, Meta was in a position to seamlessly undertake new Android 14 options, like Foreground Service sorts and ship well timed suggestions and bug studies to the Android staff, contributing to enhancements within the OS.

Meta additionally accelerated their targetSDK adoption for Android 14—updating Messenger, Fb, and Instagram inside one to 2 months of the AOSP launch, in comparison with seven to 9 months for Android 12 (a rise of velocity of greater than 4x!). Meta’s newly created readiness program unlocked this achievement by working throughout every app to undertake newest Android modifications whereas nonetheless sustaining compatibility. For instance, by automating and simplifying their SDK launch course of, Meta was in a position to reduce rollout time from three weeks to below three hours, enhancing cooperation between particular person app groups by offering rapid entry to the most recent SDKs and permitting for fast testing of recent OS options. The centralized strategy additionally meant Threads adopted Android 14 assist shortly regardless of the fast-growing new app being supported by a minimal staff.

Reaping the rewards: The impression on customers

Meta’s early targetSDK adoption technique delivers vital advantages for customers as nicely. Here is how:

Improved reliability and compatibility: Early adoption of Android previews and betas prevented surprises close to the OS launch, guaranteeing a clean day-one expertise for customers upgrading to the most recent Android model. For instance, with partial media permissions, Meta’s in depth experimentation with permission flows ensured “customers felt knowledgeable in regards to the change and in management over their privateness settings,” whereas maximizing the app’s media-sharing performance.

Strong experimentation with new launch options: Early Android launch adoption gave Meta ample time to collaborate throughout privateness, design, and content material technique groups, enabling them to thoughtfully combine the brand new Android options that include each launch. This enhanced the collaboration on different options, permitting Meta to roll out Extremely HDR picture expertise on Instagram inside 3 months of platform launch in an “Android first” method is a good instance of this, delighting customers with brighter and richer colours with the next dynamic vary of their Instagram posts and tales.

Meta’s adoption of Extremely HDR in Android 14 brings brighter colours and dynamic vary to Instagram posts and tales.

Embrace the most recent Android variations

Meta’s journey highlights the compelling causes for Android builders to undertake an identical forward-thinking mindset in working with the Android betas:

Take a look at your apps early: Anticipate Android OS modifications, making certain your apps are ready for the most recent goal SDK as quickly as they develop into accessible to create a seamless transition for customers who replace to the latest Android model.

Make the most of newest instruments to optimize person expertise: Take a look at your apps completely in opposition to every beta to establish and tackle any potential points. Test the Android Studio Improve Assistant to spotlight main breaking modifications in every targetSDKVersion, and combine the compatibility framework device into your testing course of to assist uncover potential app points within the new OS model.

Collaborate with Google: Present your beneficial suggestions and bug studies utilizing the Google subject tracker to contribute on to the advance of the Android ecosystem.

We encourage you to take full benefit of the Android Developer Previews & Betas program, beginning with the newly-released Android 15 Developer Preview 1.

The staff behind the success

An enormous thanks to your complete Meta staff for his or her collaboration in Android 14 and in scripting this weblog! We’d particularly like to acknowledge the next of us from Meta for his or her excellent contributions in establishing a tradition of early adoption: