How to Future Proof an Android App: 5 Steps

Google’s Android mobile operating system is an open-source platform that can be licensed and used by any smartphone or tablet manufacturer. There is also an Android SDK (Software Development Kit) available as a free download, allowing developers to develop and distribute custom-built Android applications. This article will walk you through the process of future proofing an Android app to ensure it works smoothly with future releases of the Android operating system.
STEPS

1

AVOID USING INTERNAL APIS. Internal APIs such as Bluetooth toggle and brightness control APIs often break when Android is updated. To avoid bugs and potential compatibility issues, it's best to avoid them.

2

AVOID MANIPULATING SETTINGS DIRECTLY. You can no longer manipulate system settings without specific permission from the user. Future releases of Android will require you to issue an “Intent to launch the appropriate Settings configuration screen,” allowing the user to change the settings themselves.

3

AVOID UNREASONABLY CLUTTERED LAYOUTS. Layouts with view hierarchies of more than 10 deep or

3

0 broad can causes crashes.

4

AVOID HARDWARE ASSUMPTIONS. Applications that assume a user has a certain hardware feature can cause compatibility issues. If your application is designed specifically for a certain hardware feature such as a physical keyboard, it should be equally as useful to users without that specific hardware feature.

5

AVOID ROTATION AND REORIENTATION ISSUES. Issues with automatic reorientation is often due to applications assuming the screen can only rotate when a physically keyboard is exposed. You should ensure your apps could be reoriented on any hardware and at any time. Also, apps that require shaking motions and other physical gestures requiring the device’s accelerometer may interfere with reorientation.
TIPS
You can install a custom plugin of Android Development Tools for developing in Eclipse. Learn more on the Install the ADT Plugin page.
WARNINGS
You might need to install Java Development Kit 5 or 6 on your computer to use the Android SDK. Refer to the Android SDK System Requirements to make sure your systems meets the minimum software requirements.