Tips For Developing Apps For Foldable Phones! There are 3.2 billion smartphone users in the world and on average a user interacts with their phone 63 times per day.
The majority of searches were done through mobile, which is almost double what it was previously.
So, how do people use their smartphones? 90% of the time spent on smartphones is spent on apps and an average person uses over 30 apps. It is safe to say that smartphones and apps are a staple of modern life.
Consumers have evolved, and mobile content for user no longer satisfy them. They want more immersive experiences with their content, powered by the latest innovations from input tech.
Factors to Consider When Developing Apps for Foldable Phones
Foldable smartphones were recently launched in the market. For app developers, this poses a serious question. How does one develop apps for foldable smartphones?
Here are tips to consider when developing apps for smartphones.
Make it Resizable
One distinct feature of foldable smartphones is their large screens. A multi-window mode is often included on foldable phones.
The biggest difference between a conventional and a foldable phone is how you can use it. We live in a world with two ways you can use the new technology, such as unfolded or folded screens.
App features should be organized based on the function of screens, but this can change. Engineers need to consider what you want to show on which screen while they design the app. The easiest way to do so is by using the code “resizeableActivity=true”.
What this code does is to help the system in assuming that the app supports multi-window and resizable screens. This means that the code helps the app to be compatible with a variety of screens including foldable phones, freeform windows and desktop screens.
Consider the 2 States of the Phone
Make sure to account for the 2 states of the phone. The biggest difference between conventional smartphones and foldable ones is that there are 2 ways you can use some foldable phones: folded or unfolded.
The unfolded screens of foldable phones provide you with a lot of room to work with. You’ve been able to use it to provide an additional enriching experience.
It is better to allow users to navigate with their fingers simultaneously versus one at a time. To create an app that works optimally for both screens is essential.
Adjust Screen Ratios
Foldable smartphones are likely to come in various shapes and sizes, with some manufacturers opting for longer and thinner screens and others choosing shorter, bulkier displays.
It is necessary to test your app for various screen ratios. This ensures that your app will work on most devices, as opposed to having a large number of incompatible devices.
If you want to create a video that has a specific ratio such as 2×3, you need to make sure the app is able to handle it.
Multi-resume
On newer versions of Android, multi-window mode helps in combatting the annoyance of pausing when one app is opened and another closed. However, it doesn’t work on older versions of Android and only the last open app continues running after locking the phone.
Fortunately for units that run on Android 10 and above, this bug has been corrected. All apps functional are resumed in the multi-window mode. Apps for fodlable smartphones must also be developed with this factor in mind.
You can use the meta-data to support this function in your app:
<meta-data
android:name=”android.allow_multiple_resumed_activities” android:value=”true” />
Simultaneously Support Multiple Screens
With a foldable phone, you can use one screen or many screens.
App developers can make the shift to multiple screens, since it is not a daunting change. They will be able to configure their screens like Chrome OS, which has multiple screens.
Android 10 and above support simultaneous activities on multiple screens. On secondary displays, multi-screen and multi-resume functionality will apply.
With a foldable phone, you have to select which screen will be the primary one.
When an activity moves to a secondary display, make sure to account for resizes and other changes in the existing configuration. You should also specify the same to your users.
Ensure Quality
There are many different types of smartphones today and developers must ensure that the functionality of their apps will still stand whether you’re using a traditional phone or a foldable one.
You should first figure out how many devices your app will be supported on, what the ratio and resolutions are for all of these devices. From there, you should develop an app.
To ensure one’s phone is still functional, they have to run tests on many of them. It can be difficult if there are too many devices on the market. With emulators, you don’t have to run as many tests.
Samsung recently launched the “Samsung Galaxy Fold” smartphone, with a customized Emulator for app developers.
Those of you who are more cautious may prefer to double-check that the app functioned flawlessly on each device type, as it will have little effect on your quality.
Listen To Feedback
Don’t be too hard on yourself if your app has bugs or errors. Our new generation phone is still new to the market, and thus mistakes and errors will happen.
You should always have a feedback collection process in place so that you can collect customer complaints and respond to them. Detect when the customer is having trouble with any app configuration and then find a solution to the problem.
It might be a good idea to take it slow and start small. Pilot your app before you release it on a large scale. That way, if there are any bugs or serious issues, you can fix them before anyone else notices.
Make sure the app is expandable, especially with regards to changes in screen transitions.
Final Thoughts
A team should be adaptable, which is something that developers are already good at. By working with new technology like foldable, only advances the skillsets of programmers.
Research all of the features that foldable phones have that are different from conventional smartphones. Consider what effects these features will have on your app development process. Alter your development method accordingly, and do as many test runs as possible to ensure a smooth product launch. Feedback from potential users is very important in order to address any issues.
To make developing more accessible, there are templates to help you develop with a more structured workflow. In addition, there is support for debugging tools such as logs, testing and performance monitoring.
