14 DAY TRIAL // The 2016 edition of Google I/O was definitely a must-see event filled with all sorts of new and exciting products that the company has been working on. One of such innovations is Android Instant Apps. It solves the problem that many users had whenever they needed to open an in-app link but didn’t have that actual application installed on their smartphones.
We’ve all been in that situation when we received a link but couldn’t open it unless we installed an application from Play store. The new feature for Android, called Instant Apps, promises to solve this issue and display content without having to waste time and actually download the application.
Instant Apps uses deep links that open the content and allow users to see it instantly. Google suggested during the presentation that it could come in handy when shopping online or wanting to make a quick payment through an app found in the Play Store. In fact, it could be used in a number of situations and users could make sure that they don’t clog their phones with too many installed applications.
After the user clicks a link, Google Play would download only a few small parts needed for checking out the content or quickly browsing through the app and seeing what it can offer. It also has a feature that allows users to install the application if they decide to keep it on their smartphones for later use.
Developers would need to modularize their applications
It seems that Instant Apps is currently only limited to web applications. However, Google doesn’t seem to be the first company to think of this idea. A while ago, Microsoft also attempted to stream applications, but it had mixed results.
Instant Apps is currently only limited to 4MB and it remains to be seen if the feature will also support complex apps or instant game play. The presentation revealed that Google tested the feature on Android phones running Jellybean and up.
Instant Apps doesn’t require developers to build new, separate applications but rather to modularize their apps so that Google Play can download only the parts that are needed. Instant Apps feature should be available later this year.