Google kickstarted the Playtime, an annual global event series where the company announced that Android app bundle is Android’s new publishing format, with which developers can more easily deliver a great experience in a smaller app size since it is a deciding factor for higher conversation rates.
Thousands of app bundles are already in production, with an average size reduction of 35%. App bundles will now be average 8% smaller on download and 16% smaller on the device on Marshmallow devices with no additional developer work. These new savings come from supporting uncompressed native libraries, which eliminates the need to store multiple copies on the device.
It also allows you to upload large app bundles with installed APK sizes of up to 500MB without needing to use expansion files. This feature is in early access and Google said that it will roll it out to all developers in the future. Google says that it is using Android App bundle to solve instant app issue where developers had to publish both an instant app and an installable app. With Android Studio 3.2, developers could publish instant-enabled bundles but are still required to publish a primary app bundle.
Developers don’t have to maintain separate code, thanks to the Android Studio 3.3 beta release, developers can publish a single app bundle and classify it or a particular module to be instantly enabled. The unified app bundle is the future of instant app experiences.
Google Play Instant is now available for premium titles and pre-registration campaigns, so people can try your game before it launches and generate additional buzz. New apps and games join Google Play Instant every day, and we’re excited to welcome Umiro, by Devolver Digital, and Looney Tunes World of Mayhem, by Scopely, as some of the first to take advantage of these new features.
Google is also making several updates to make it easier to manage your app and business with Play. At I/O, Google introduced the cancellation survey, where you can get insights into why subscribers are canceling. Google is now testing the ability for users to temporarily pause their subscriptions instead of outright canceling and giving you the ability to deliver promotions to win back canceled subscribers.
Now, you can now change the price of an existing subscription without needing to create a new SKU in Play Billing Library version 1.2. You can also offer a plan change and make the change effective at the existing renewal date. Google also added new tools in the Play Console to help you evaluate your core metrics. Additions include cumulative data, 30-day rolling average metrics, and roll-ups for different time periods to better match the cadence of your business. You can also download any configured reports as a CSV file.
Developers can now prompt users to update without leaving the app with a new API called In-App Updates. Developers can either show a full-screen experience that takes the user from download to restart or help the user download and install in the background with graceful state monitoring. This program is currently in early access and will be rolling out in the next few months. Google also launched the ‘Academy for app success’ new interactive courses to help developers get the most out of the Play Console, understand Play policies, and utilize best practices to improve quality and increase business performance. It is available in English today, new content and translated courses will be added soon.