Get a first look at bold and responsible experiments across Google, and share feedback with the teams behind them.
As we continue to evolve the Wear OS platform, we're excited to share with you some of the newest features and improvements that have been added to help you create innovative and engaging experiences for your users.
Partners like Peloton and Todoist have been building exceptional experiences for Wear OS - and seeing the impact on their feature-adoption and engagement. Hear directly from Peloton engineers about how they built a differentiated experience for the watch with Compose for Wear OS.
In this blog post, we’ll be highlighting some of the key updates we announced at Google I/O this year, so let’s dive in and explore the latest advancements in Wear OS!
Today we’re releasing the first Developer Preview of Wear OS 4, the next version of Google’s smartwatch platform arriving later this year. It has enhancements to security, user customization, and power optimizations.
This preview introduces several new tools to help enhance your Wear OS app experience:
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| Watch faces created using the new Format |
Wear OS tiles give users fast, predictable access to the information and actions they rely on most. Version 1.2 of the Jetpack Tiles library introduces support for platform data bindings, so if your tile uses platform data sources such as heart rate, step count, or time, your tile is updated once per second.
The new version of tiles also adds support for animations. You can use tween animations to create smooth transitions on changes to part of your layout, and transition animations can animate new or disappearing elements from the tile.
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| Examples of animated Tiles |
Wear OS 4 is based on Android 13, which is several versions newer than the current Wear OS version, so your app will need to handle the system behavior changes that took effect in Android 12 and Android 13. We recommend you start by testing your app and releasing a compatible update first – as devices get upgraded to Wear OS 4, it’s a basic but a critical level of quality that provides a good app experience for users.
Download the Wear OS 4 emulator in Android Studio Hedgehog to explore new features and test your app on Wear OS 4 Developer Preview.
Firebase Test Lab will support running tests for your standalone app on physical Google Pixel Watches in the next few weeks. You can run your automated tests on the Google Pixel Watch via Gradle Managed Devices, or use the Firebase Console to also run Robo tests. To learn more, check out available devices.
Today we are also excited to announce Wear OS support in Google Play Pre-launch reports for standalone apps. The Pre-launch report helps to identify issues proactively before your app reaches users, so it’s an important tool to help you launch a high-quality app. You can test for stability, accessibility, security and trust, and screenshot previews! At the moment the analysis runs on Wear emulators and it is soon launching on Google Pixel Watches.
The Wear OS 4 emulator brings support for emulated Bluetooth, which lets you test more use cases, for example Bluetooth audio.
The new Wear OS 4 emulator doesn’t support unmanaged 32-bit code, so if your app uses native code, make sure that it includes both 32-bit and 64-bit native libraries. This will also prepare your app for upcoming 64-bit only hardware.
In Android Studio Hedgehog we also added capabilities for capturing screenshots and Logcat snapshots in the Wear OS emulator, so it is now much easier to generate screenshots for your app’s store listing.
Since the latest stable Compose for Wear OS 1.1 release, we continue to bring new features and improvements to the toolkit. Version 1.2 already has a number of alpha releases – check out release notes to find out more.
Health Services version 1.0 has introduced a few new features in latest beta releases. Most notably, it includes BatchingMode to deliver batched exercise data at a configured interval instead of the default interval, as well as an ExerciseTypeConfig API which enables updates during ongoing exercises, such as golfing. If you are interested to learn what's new in Android Health, check out this blog.
Wear OS active devices have grown 5x since launching Wear OS 3, and it's the fastest growing smartwatch platform.
We’re excited to share our brand new Wear OS Gallery, where you can find even more guidance with proven design and development patterns for messaging, media, and health & fitness apps!
With the latest updates, you'll have even more tools at your disposal to create beautiful, high-quality wearable experiences.
Get started building for Wear OS with hands-on experience! Try our Compose for Wear OS codelab, and check out the documentation and samples.
The new Wear OS quality requirements will come into effect on August 31, 2023, so consider them early when designing and developing your app.
We’re looking forward to seeing the experiences that you build!
Over the past year, we’ve continued to see significant growth on Android TV OS, now with over 150 million monthly active devices. In fact, according to Strategy Analytics, the Android TV streaming platform shipped on more devices worldwide than any other streaming TV platform in 2022.
Today, we’re launching the Alpha release of Compose for TV, the latest UI framework for developing beautiful and functional apps for Android TV.
Compose for TV unlocks all the benefits of Jetpack Compose for your TV apps, allowing you to build apps with less code, easier maintenance and a modern Material 3 look straight out of the box:
- Less code: Do more with less code and avoid entire classes of bugs, so code is simple and easy to maintain.
- Intuitive: Describe your UI, and Compose takes care of the rest. As the app state changes, your UI automatically updates.
- Accelerate development: Compose for TV is compatible with all your existing code so you can adopt when and where you want. Iterate fast with live previews and full Android Studio support.
- Powerful & flexible: Create beautiful apps with direct access to the Android platform APIs that can be easily reused between other form factors, including your existing mobile, tablet, foldable, wearable and TV interfaces.
We're also excited to announce the launch of our new TV Design Guidelines for Android TV. This comprehensive guide gives you the tools you need to create TV apps that are visually appealing, intuitive, and immersive. The guidelines cover everything from typography and color to navigation and layout. Follow these guidelines to create high-quality TV apps that are easy to use.
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Here are some components from the TV library that are optimized for the living room experience. You can use them alongside the Material components in Compose you’re already familiar with.
TvLazyColumn {
items(contentList) { content ->
TvLazyRow {
items(content) { cardItem ->
Card(cardItem)
}
}
} |
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| A grid of content cards |
TvLazyRow(
pivotOffsets = PivotOffsets(0.0f)
) {
items(movie) { movie ->
MyContentCard(movie)
}
} |
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| Adjusting the pivot of a TvLazyRow |
ImmersiveList(
modifier = Modifier.height(130.dp).fillMaxWidth(),
background = { index, _ ->
AnimatedContent(targetState = index) {
MyImmersiveListBackground(it)
}
},
) {
TvLazyRow {
items(featuredContentList.size) { index ->
MyCard(
Modifier.focusableItem(index),
featuredContentList[index]
)
}
}
} |
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| ImmersiveList allows TvLazyRows to be combined with content featuring |
Carousel(
itemCount = featuredContentList.size,
) { index ->
CarouselItem(
background = {
MyBackground(index)
},
content = {
MyFeaturedContent(featuredContentList[index])
}
)
} |
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| Carousel features content with custom content and backgrounds |
var selectedTabIndex by remember { mutableStateOf(0) }
TabRow(selectedTabIndex = selectedTabIndex) {
tabs.forEachIndexed { index, tab ->
Tab(
selected = selectedTabIndex == index,
onFocus = {
selectedTabIndex = index
},
) {
Text(tab)
}
}
}
MyContentBody(selectedTabIndex) |
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| TabRows can be placed at the top of the screen to provide top navigation |
NavigationDrawer(
drawerContent = {
if (DrawerValue.Open == it) {
MyExpandedSideMenu()
} else {
MyCompactSideMenu()
}
}
){
MyContentBody()
} |
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| NavigationDrawer makes it easy to implement side navigation that expands and collapses |
Subtle focus hints that work on phones and tablets might not be optimal for TVs, due to environmental factors such as distance from the screen and contrast ratio. To address this, we’ve built dedicated Material3 inspired components that provide big, bold focus for selected elements like Buttons and Cards, designed with accessibility in mind. You can use these Indications for your own custom surfaces as well.
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| Component focus can be customized through different indication types: Scale, Border, Glow and Color |
We worked closely with a group of early adopters to get their feedback on Compose for TV. Here’s what they have to say:
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To get started , check out the developer guides, design reference, our new codelab and sample code. Be sure to check the latest release notes to keep up to date with the latest updates to Compose for TV.
We’ve heard your feedback about the Leanback API and your desire to use a modern UI framework that looks great out of the box, but also lends itself to be thoroughly themed and customized. Please continue to give us feedback so we can continue shaping Compose for TV to fit your needs.
Cross posted from Android Medium
The Android Studio logo redesign caught the attention of the developer community since its sneak peek at the Android Developer Summit ‘22. We are thrilled to release the new Android Studio logo with the stable release of Flamingo. Now that the new logo is available to most Android Studio users, we can examine the design changes in greater detail and decode their meaning.
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| "@androidstudio has a new logo, and it looks much, MUCH better”
tweet by @evowizz Oct 25, 2022 |
This case study offers a comprehensive overview of the design journey, from identifying the initial problem to the final outcome. It explores the critical brand elements that the team needed to consider and the tools used throughout the redesign process. This case study also delves into the various stages of design exploration, highlighting the efforts to create a modern logo while honoring the Android Studio brand's legacy.
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| "Android Studio is getting a brand-new logo” tweet by @9to5Google 0ct 25, 2022 |
You told us the Android Studio logo looked a little weird and complicated. It doesn't shrink down well and it's way too similar to the emulator. We heard you!
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| With Android Studio’s new Logo, it seems like the studio team gave high consideration to Android Launcher Icon guidelines with no regards for how it looks on a Windows Machine Taskbar” tweet by @theretroportal Oct 22, 2020 |
The Android Studio logo used between 2020 and 2022 was well-suited for print, but it posed challenges when used as an application icon. Its readability suffered when reduced to smaller sizes, and its similarity to the emulator caused confusion.
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| 2020 - 2022 Android Studio Stable scalability issues |
Additionally, the use of color alone to differentiate between Canary and Stable versions made it difficult for users with color vision deficiencies.
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The redesign aimed to resolve these concerns by creating a logo that was easy to read, visually distinctive, and followed the OS guidelines when necessary, ensuring accessibility. The new design also maintained a connection with the Android logo family while honoring its legacy.
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| Android Developer Logo Family |
In this case study, we will delve into the version history and evolution of the Android Studio logo and how it has changed over the years.
- 2013: The original Android Studio logo was a 3D robot that highlighted the gears and interworking of the bugdroid. At this time, the Android Emulator was the bugdroid.
- 2014: The Android Emulator merged to a flat mark but remained otherwise unchanged.
- 2014-2019: An updated Android Studio logo was introduced featuring an "A" compass in front of a green circle.
- 2019: In Canary 3.6, the color palette was updated to match Android 10.
- 2020-2022: With the release of Android Studio 4.1 Canary, the "A" compass was reduced to an abstract form placed in front of a blueprint. The Android head was also added, peeking over the top.
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| A timeline of Android Studio & Emulator design evolution |
When redesigning a logo, it's important to consider brand elements that unify products within an ecosystem. For the Android Developer ecosystem, the “robot head” is a key brand element, alongside the primaryAndroid green color. The secondary colors blue and navy, and tertiary colors like orange, can also be utilized for support.
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| Android brand color palette |
- Iconography: use recognizable and appropriate symbols, such as compass "A" for Android Studio or a device for Android Emulator, to convey the purpose and functionality clearly and quickly.
- Enhance recognition and scalability: the Android Studio and Android Emulator should prioritize legibility and scalability, ensuring that they can be easily recognized and understood even at smaller sizes.
- Establish distinction: the Android Studio and Android Emulator need to be easily distinguishable, to avoid confusion.
- Maintain brand consistency: the Android Studio and Android Emulator designs should be consistent with the overall branding and visual identity of the Android family, while still being distinctive.
- Ensure accessibility: the logo should be accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. This means using clear shapes, colors, and contrast.
- Follow OS guidelines: the updated application icon must align with the Android visual language and conform to the guidelines of macOS, Windows, and Linux operating systems, ensuring consistency and coherence across all platforms.
- Ensure versatility: the Android Studio logo should be versatile enough to work in a variety of sizes and contexts, such as on different devices and platforms.
Paper, pencil and pen sketching, markers, Adobe Illustrator and Figma.
It all started as a simple brief: redesign the Android Studio logo. We initiated our creative process by brainstorming objects and concepts that evoke a sense of software development - such as pencils, rulers, building blocks, construction sites, tape measures, compasses, and protractors.
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| Logo exploration and sketches: pencils, rulers and compass |
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| Logo exploration and sketches: blueprint, rulers and Android head |
We experimented with replacing the drawing compass with a ruler and tried various combinations of design elements. We even explored the idea of incorporating bricks, similar to building blocks, and playfully stacked the Android head, a ruler, and a pencil together, with a nod to the terminal prompt symbol '>'.
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| Logo exploration with building blocks and a ‘play on terminal’ |
During the logo exploration phase, we examined different approaches to incorporating an "A" for Android into the design. One concept highlighted the precision of Android development tools through an "A" ruler, while another featured the original "A" compass from 2014.
Once we had generated a variety of logo concepts through sketching, we then proceeded to add the Android color palette to our designs. This was an important step to ensure that our new logo would not only stand out on its own but also maintain a strong visual connection with the wider Android Developer family branding.
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| Android Studio logo exploration with an “A” ruler |
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| Android Studio logo exploration with a “A” compass |
To ensure clear differentiation between the redesigned Emulator and Android Studio, we explored the option of removing elements and reversing the colors of both marks, which would simplify their overall design and make them easier to recognize at a glance.
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| Android Studio & Android Emulator exploration |
We aimed to enhance the distinctiveness, scalability, and iconography by carefully analyzing various design elements such as line weight, corner radius, and the placement of the Android head, to create a visually strong mark. We further simplified the design by eliminating all shadow effects and reorienting the emulator phone to an upright position, which improved recognition, scalability, and scannability. This heightened the visual differentiation between the two marks, making them more recognizable and visually distinct.
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| Android Emulator exploration |
The redesigned Android Studio logo is a fresh take on the original design, featuring the Android head and the iconic A compass. The team initially considered keeping the simplified A used in the 2020- 2022, but ultimately decided that the simplified A was not strong enough of a mark to be the central symbol of the Android Studio brand. The compass's handle and hinge have been reintroduced, while the legs of the compass have been sharpened to points, reflecting the meticulousness and precision that developers bring to their craft. Additionally, the adjustment angle radius has been reinstated, creating the crossbar necessary to form the letter A.
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- Accessible: the logo uses secondary encoding with an outlined A for Canary and a solid A for Stable in addition to color. This makes it easier for users with color vision deficiencies to distinguish between the two application icons.
- Minimal and scalable: the blueprint drawing in the 2020 - 2022 was removed to create a minimalist design that is scalable and legible at smaller sizes. This makes it easier for low vision users to see.
- Ensuring recognition: the new logo's central focus is the A compass, which incorporates elements from the original compass mark. This helps ensure that the application icon is recognizable to users, even at small sizes.
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The Android Studio application icon consists of two unique shapes: a squircle, a square with slightly rounded corners commonly used in macOS applications, and a 13-pointed bottle cap, which is a shape derived from the Modern Android design system. Besides reflecting the design system, the 13-pointed bottle cap also serves as a delightful Easter egg
Android Studio has two application icons - one for the Canary version and one for the Stable release. The Canary application icon is a white outline on a dark blue background, representing a blueprint or prototype. The Android Studio Preview (Canary) version enables developers to experiment with new features that are still in development. The white outline of the A compass in Canary indicates that the features are not yet finalized and may change.
From 2014 to 2022, the Android Studio application icons featured different background colors, with yellow representing Canary and green (2014 - 2019) and white (2020-2022) representing Stable releases. However, the most recent redesign takes accessibility to a new level by going beyond the use of background colors alone to differentiate between Canary and Stable. The new design employs a secondary encoding method, featuring an outlined A for Canary and a solid A for Stable, in addition to color, to effectively convey meaning and make the application icons more accessible for users with color vision deficiencies.
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The new Android Studio application icons also embody the spirit of software development, highlighting the transformation from a blueprint/prototype (Canary) to a fully designed and polished product (Stable). Drawing inspiration from the design language of the Canary and Stable Splash Screens, the Android Studio Canary and Stable icons visually reinforce the progression of the developer's journey from the blueprint and ideation stages to execution.
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The new Android Studio logo illustrates how a brand can evolve through simplification, improve clarity and recognition while honoring its legacy. By keeping the A compass as a reference to the 2014 logo, the team created a modern design that represents the evolution of the Android Studio platform. This minimalist design is easily recognizable and aligns with the rest of the Android Developer branding.
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| Android Developer Logo Family |
Marie Prezner, Chris Sinco, Chris Walker, Virginia Poltrack, Rick Murphy
It is a good time to download the latest stable version of Android Studio to see the new icon. As always, we appreciate any feedback on things you like and issues or features you would like to see. If you find a bug or issue, please file an issue and also check out known-issues. Remember to also follow us on Twitter, Medium, or YouTube for more Android Development updates!
For more than a decade, Google has been committed to bringing safe and seamless connected experiences to cars. We’re continuing to see strong momentum and adoption across Android for Cars. Android Auto is supported by nearly every major car maker, and will be in nearly 200 million cars by the end of this year. And the number of cars powered by Android Automotive OS with Google built-in — which includes top brands like Chevrolet, Volvo, Polestar, Honda, Renault and more — is expected to nearly double by the end of this year.
With cars becoming more connected and equipped with immersive displays, there’s more opportunities for developers to bring app experiences to cars. We’re excited to share updates and new ways for developers to reach more users in the car.
Helping drivers while on the road - whether they are navigating, listening to music, or checking the weather - is a top priority. We’re continuing to invest in tools and resources, including the Android for Cars App Library, to make it even easier for developers to build new apps or port existing Android apps over to cars.
Today, we announced Waze rolling out globally on the Google Play Store for all cars with Google built-in, expanding its availability beyond Android Auto. As a part of this launch, we created more templates in Android for Cars App Library to help speed up development time across a number of app categories, including navigation.
For navigation apps, it’s also now possible to integrate with the instrument cluster, providing turn-by-turn directions right in the driver's line of sight. And developers can also access car sensor data to surface helpful information like range, fuel level, and speed to provide more contextual assistance to drivers.
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| The Waze app is coming to all cars with Google built-in, including the first-ever Chevrolet Blazer EV launching this year. |
Media apps continue to be a top use case in the car, and it’s quicker than ever to bring your media apps to Android Auto and Android Automotive OS. Audible recently joined popular streaming audio apps like Deezer, Soundcloud, and Spotify to offer their apps across both Android Auto and cars with Google built-in. If you have a media app on mobile, port it over to reach new users in the car.
The Android for Cars App Library now allows developers to bring new apps to cars including internet of things (IoT) and weather apps to cars. The IoT category is available for all developers, while weather is in an early access program. In the weather category, The Weather Channel app will join other weather apps like Weather & Radar later this year.
We’re also working with messaging apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex by Cisco to allow you to join meetings by audio from your car display in the coming months.
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| Coming soon, join meetings by audio from your car display. |
With screens expanding in size and more being added for passengers, there is growing demand for parked and passenger experiences in cars.
Now, video and gaming app categories are available in the car, with an early access program for browsing apps coming soon. YouTube is now available for car makers to offer in cars with Google built-in. And drivers of cars with Google built-in will soon have access to popular titles like Beach Buggy Racing 2, Solitaire FRVR, and My Talking Tom Friends from publishers like Vector Unit, FRVR and Outfit7 Limited. Developers can now port their large screen optimized apps to cars to take advantage of this opportunity.
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| YouTube is coming to cars with Google built-in, like the Polestar 2. |
More screens in cars allows for new experiences between drivers and passengers, including individual and shared entertainment experiences. We're excited to announce multi-screen support is coming to Android Automotive OS 14 — stay tuned for more updates.
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| Support for multiple screens is coming to Android Automotive OS 14. |
To learn how to bring your apps to cars, check out the technical session, codelab and documentation on the Android for Cars developer site. With all the opportunities across car screens, there has never been a better time to bring your apps and experiences to cars. Thanks for all the contributions to the Android ecosystem. See you on the road!
We’ve added new ways to find and explore diverse perspectives on Search, including content from social media platforms, to help you learn from the experience of other pe…
We're introducing Search Labs, a new way for you to sign up to test bold new products and ideas we're exploring.
We’re starting with an experiment in Search Labs called SGE, Search Generative Experience, which uses generative AI.
With advancements in AI, there are new ways to understand your route with Maps. Plus, new immersive tools for developers.
Posted by Adhithya Ramakumar, Design Lead, Android Developer Experience and Rebecca Gutteridge, Senior Developer Relations Engineer, Android
Cross posted from Android Medium
We’re introducing the Android Design Hub to make it easier to build compelling UI across form factors.
The design hub is a comprehensive resource with opinionated guidance designed to empower designers and developers like you to create stunning and user-friendly interfaces for Android apps. It's all about sharing takeaways, examples and do’s and don’ts, starter Figma kits, UI samples and inspiring galleries. This is the beginning of a journey we'd love for you to join us on.
A well-designed UI is crucial to the success of an app, and that's why we created a one-stop shop designed to help create outstanding user interfaces across all Android form factors:
The design hub goes into depth about what it means to design for Android, at the same time complementing and extending our Material Design open-source design system. As the Android ecosystem adds an increasing variety of devices, it's more important than ever to create seamless and adaptable experiences for your users. The Android UI Design Hub is your comprehensive resource for mastering the art of designing and implementing UI on a diverse range of devices, from smartphones and tablets to foldables to wearables and TV.
Here’s a sneak peek of what you'll find in the design hub:
Gain access to a library tailored for each form factor, including guidance, design templates, and sample projects. With these resources at your fingertips, you're well equipped to create exceptional UI experiences for every device category.
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Spark your creativity by exploring our collection of Android app designs for a variety of popular categories of apps such as Social, Productivity, Health & Fitness, Shopping, and more. Get inspired by thoughtfully curated examples and discover design patterns to tackle common design challenges across form factors for
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Dive into the nitty gritty of Android design principles, learning how to implement high-quality Android designs and understanding app layout with Android system bars, navigation modes, theming, and more. Our comprehensive documentation helps ensure that your app's design adheres to the highest standard and directs you to the latest Material Design guidelines.
Guidelines:
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Equip yourself with an extensive selection of design tools, templates, and resources, specially tailored for Android development. Streamline your workflow and bring your app ideas to life more efficiently:
Check out the code samples with their corresponding Figma Kits:
Whether you're an experienced designer or a developer looking to enhance your design skills, the Android Design Hub is here to support and guide you throughout your journey.
So what are you waiting for? Visit the Android UI design hub today, and start creating exceptional user interfaces that captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression. Happy designing!
Posted by 
Posted by Paul Lammertsma, Developer Relations Engineer
Posted by Marie Prezner, UX Product Design, Android Developer UX
Posted by Jennifer Tsau, Product Management Lead and David Dandeneau, Engineering Lead
