Android Instant Apps Live Testing Begins With Select Apps

By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 24 January 2017 11:13 IST

Highlights

Instant Apps to be available to select developers initially
Instant Apps from BuzzFeed, Wish, Periscope, and Viki initially available
Google to expand the feature to more apps and users soon

Android Instant Apps Live Testing Begins With Select Apps

Android Instant Apps was one of the major announcements that came from Google during the company's annual I/O 2016 keynote. It seems the company is finally ready for its live testing with select apps.

The Android Instant Apps feature essentially allows users to open any app by just tapping on a link even if the app isn't installed and is an expansion of the app streaming feature the company's been working on for a few years.

Also seeAndroid Instant Apps: Everything You Need to Know

Announcing the initial live testing of the Android Instant Apps feature, Google's Aurash Mahbod, Software Engineer, Google Play wrote in a blog post, "Android Instant Apps was previewed at Google I/O last year as a new way to run Android apps without requiring installation. Instant Apps is an important part of our effort to help users discover and run apps with minimal friction."

Mahbod revealed that Google worked with select developers to bring the first set Instant Apps. Starting Monday, few Instant Apps from BuzzFeed, Wish, Periscope, and Viki will be available to Android users in a "limited test." Google has confirmed plans to expand the availability of Instant Apps to "more apps and users." The company will be collecting user feedback from the initial Instant Apps to bring improvements.

Android Instant Apps will let users access apps from search, social media, messaging, and other deep links without the need to stop and first install the app. The company at I/O 2016 had explained that the feature requires partner apps to be built with modules which will mean that user will access only the necessary modules when tapping on an app's feature without downloading the entire app.

"To develop an instant app, you'll need to update your existing Android app to take advantage of Instant Apps functionality and then modularize your app so part of it can be downloaded and run on-the-fly. You'll use the same Android APIs and Android Studio project," added Mahbod for developers. Google has confirmed that the full SDK will be available in the coming months.

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