Instant apps are a newer feature of the Android operating system that was announced by Google at its I/O developer conference in May 2016. They allow users to run parts of an app without having to install it first. Instant apps are designed to make it easier for people to try out an app without fully committing to it from the outset. The Android instant app feature was so successful that Apple came out with its own version as well, Apple App Clips, in June 2020. Although the concept of App Clips is a little different from Android’s version of Instant Apps, this just goes to show the audience’s appreciation for applications that are easily accessible without download.
Cost to Develop Instant Apps
Developing an instant app is cheaper than developing a full mobile app since developers don’t have to build the entire interface. Instead, users are given a limited set of features that they can use. They can then decide whether they want to install the full app. To get an estimate of how much your instant mobile app will cost to develop, you can refer to this app development cost guide. Based on the features you want to appear on the ‘instant’ interface, you can get a general idea of the price range you will be looking at.
How Instant Apps Work
Instant apps are stored on Google’s servers, and when a user wants to run one, the relevant parts are downloaded and run on the device. If the user decides to install the app, the data from the instant app is transferred to the full app. This means that users don’t have to worry about losing any data if they decide not to install the app.
Developing Instant Apps
Developing instant apps is similar to developing regular Android apps. The developer must specify an activity in which they want the user to land when the app starts. When you create a new project, Android Studio will generate an empty activity for this purpose. You can then add features like you normally would in any other Android app by adding fragments and services.
You must also add the appropriate intent filters to your app. These tell Android which of your app’s activities and services are available as instant apps. You can find more information about specifying intent filters in the Android Developer documentation.
Testing Instant Apps
Testing instant apps is a little different from testing regular Android apps. You can’t simply install the app on a device and test it out. You first have to enable Developer Options on your device, then enable Instant Apps. After that, you can run and debug instant apps just like you would regular apps. It is important to test your instant apps thoroughly, as users may encounter problems if they try to use features that aren’t properly implemented and tested yet.
Conclusion
Instant apps are a new feature of Android that makes it easier for users to try out an app before they decide whether to install it. They are cheaper to develop than traditional apps, which encourages more people to make them. The concept of instant apps has been well-thought-out by Google and other companies have also implemented a similar version of their own. In the future, we can expect to see more instant apps being developed and used by people all over the world, as mobile consumers continue to find ways to use mobile apps easily.
Author Bio: Zara Raza is the Head of Marketing at Sunvera Software. She earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from University of California, Irvine, in 2019, and has written several blogs on technology, software, marketing, education, business, and more.
