This document provides guidance on developing high quality Android apps. It discusses design principles like visual design, user interaction and navigation. It also covers technical aspects like performance, permissions and content policies. The document recommends using Google Play Services for location tracking, geofencing, activity recognition and cloud messaging. It also promotes features like cloud save games and Google+ sign-in to boost app installs. Resources for learning Android development are provided, including Google developer sites and conferences.

1. Quality Android Apps
+Alfredo Morresi

2. Who I am
ROLE
Developer Relations Program Manager
for Italy
PASSIONS
Community, Development,
Snowboarding, Tiramisu'
REACH ME
alfredomorresi@google.com
plus.google.com/+AlfredoMorresi
@rainbowbreeze

3. Design, Develop, Distribute

4. d.android.com/distribute/googleplay/quality

5. d.android.com/distribute/googleplay/quality
Criteria
+
Test Procedures

6. Breaking it down
• Visual Design and User Interaction
• Functionality
• Performance and Stability
• Google Play

7. Visual Design and User Interaction

8. Standard Design

9. d.android.com/about/dashboard
2%
Other
Gingerbread
ICS
Jellybean
28%
49%
21%

10. d.android.com/about/dashboard
30%
Other
Holo
70%

11. Navigation

12. Navigation & Notifications

13. Navigation
All dialogs are dismissible using
the Back button

14. Notifications
Notifications:
• are persistent only if related to ongoing events
• only contain content related to the core
function of the app*
• do not contain advertising*
* unless opted in

15. Functionality

16. Permissions
Request only the
absolute minimum
permissions that are
needed to support core
functionality.

17. Implicit Permissions

18. App/Game Audio plays...
...unless it is a core feature

19. UI

20. App State
• Don’t leave services running while app in
background, unless core function
• Preserve and Restore User State
from recents, device wake, relaunch

21. Performance and Stability

22. GPU Overdraw

23. Profile GPU Rendering

24. Profile GPU Rendering

25. Profile GPU Rendering

26. Performance
<android-sdk>/tools/monitor

27. Hierarchy Viewer

28. Tracer for OpenGL ES
• Devoxx 2012: For Butter or Worse
• Curious-Creature.org: Android Performance Case Study

29. ...exercise break...

30. Content Policy

31. App Content Rating

32. App Rating

33. App Rating

34. App Rating

35. Screenshots
• Full battery, wifi signals, no
notifications
• Phone + Tablet
• No system buttons on
image (personal preference)

36. Feature Graphic

37. Making a promo video
• Hardware accelerated emulators
• AndroVM
• BlueStacks
• HDMI recorder - (e.g. Blackmagic) or
HDMI -> SD Converter
•$ adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/
myclip.mp4 (API 19)

38. What’s New / Improving an App

39. Google Play Services

40. Fused Location Provider

41. Connect the Location Service Client
!
MyActivity
private void connectLBS() {
int gpsExists = GooglePlayServicesUtil.isGooglePlayServicesAvailable(this);
if (gpsExists == ConnectionResult.SUCCESS) {
mLocationClient = new LocationClient(this, this, this);
mlocationClient.connect();
}
}
@Override
public void onConnected(Bundle connectionHint) {
requestUpdates(mlocationClient);
}

42. Location Update Requests
!
MyActivity
LocationRequest request = LocationRequest.create();
request.setInterval(minTime);
request.setPriority(lowPowerMoreImportantThanAccuracy ?
LocationRequest.PRIORITY_BALANCED_POWER_ACCURACY :
LocationRequest.PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY);
mlocationClient.requestLocationUpdates(request, new LocationListener()
{
@Override
public void onLocationChanged(Location location) {
updateLocation(location);
}
});

43. Geofencing

44. Geofencing
List<Geofence> fenceList = new ArrayList<Geofence>();
!
MyActivity
// TODO Repeat for all Geofences
Geofence geofence = new Geofence.Builder()
.setRequestId(myKey)
.setTransitionTypes(Geofence.GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_ENTER |
Geofence.GEOFENCE_TRANSITION_EXIT)
.setCircularRegion(latitude, longitude, GEOFENCE_RADIUS)
.setExpirationDuration(Geofence.NEVER_EXPIRE)
.build();
fenceList.add(geofence);
mLocationClient.addGeofences(fenceList, pendingIntent,

45. Activity Recognition

46. Activity Recognition
!
MyActivity
Intent intent = new Intent(this,
ActivityRecognitionIntentService.class);
intent.setAction(MyActivity.ACTION_STRING);
PendingIntent pi = PendingIntent.getService(this, 0, intent,
PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT);
mActivityRecognitionClient.requestActivityUpdates(interval,
pi);

47. Activity Recognition
! ActivityRecognitionIntentSer
@Override
protected void onHandleIntent(Intent intent) {
if (intent.getAction() == MyActivity.ACTION_STRING) {
if (ActivityRecognitionResult.hasResult(intent)) {
ActivityRecognitionResult result = ActivityRecognitionResult.extractResult(intent);
DetectedActivity detectedActivity = result.getMostProbableActivity();
int activityType = detectedActivity.getType();
if (activityType == DetectedActivity.STILL)
setUpdateSpeed(PAUSED);
else if (activityType == DetectedActivity.IN_VEHICLE)
setUpdateSpeed(FASTER);
else
setUpdateSpeed(REGULAR);
}
}
}

48. Google+ Sign in on the Web

49. Enables App Install!!

50. 2 Steps
• Enable Google+ APIs access in Google
APIs Console
• Add the apppackagename parameter to
your sign-in button.

51. Enables App Install!!
Measure the results.
https://developers.google.com/+
/features/play-installs

53. Google Play Games

54. Google Play Games

55. Google Play Games

56. Google Play Games

57. Cloud Save

58. Google Cloud Messaging
Google cloud messaging

59. Google Cloud Messaging
Google cloud messaging
Your
Service

60. Google Cloud Messaging
Google cloud messaging
Your
Service

61. ...To summarize

62. Resources
developer.android.com
developer.android.com/design
developer.android.com/training
android-developers.blogspot.com
source.android.com

63. GDL - Google Developers Live

64. GDL Italia - http://goo.gl/MyQai

65. http://developersitalia.blogspot.it/

66. Q+A
+Alfredo Morresi

67. Copyrights and trademarks
Android, Google are registered trademarks of
Google Inc.
All other trademarks and copyrights are the
property of their respective owners.