The Android team has constantly introduced new features and tools to improve app development quality. Android 11 now has two new tools that give developers more transparency to data access and causes of process exits, among other things. Android has introduced Data Access Audit APIs and Process Exit Reasons to enhance your Android app development project.
Data Access Audit APIs
Developers often find it challenging to handle sensitive data in their projects. Android has encouraged you to be attentive and intentional about handling sensitive information. The latest version of Android, Android 11, you will have access to new APIs that will dramatically increase the levels of transparency. This means your usage of private and protected data will be more transparent and secure.
These APIs will be highly useful for large apps that may contain legacy code. The APIs will also be useful for apps that rely on third-party libraries or software development kits.
A callback API for data access transparency
The first among these APIs is a callback. It allows apps to backtrace the access to data protected by runtime permissions to the code associated that enabled the access. Android 11 enables you to create a specific logic to track and analyze the data being used.
Data access API for complex apps
The data access audit APIs also comprise an API designed for complex apps with multiple features and functionalities. For example, if a social media app has a “find a friend” and a photo tagging feature these may involve sensitive data. The find a friend feature, for instance, may use the device’s location and contacts. The photo-tagging feature may use location, contacts, and camera.
Android 11 also allows you to create a new context object so you can attribute a subset of your code to one or more features of the app. It ensures that every permission that the app takes for data usage can be traced efficiently.
Process Exit Reasons
Many developers talk about the difficulty they face in tacking the cause of an app getting terminated. This has been a challenge to the Android development platform. Not anymore. Now Android 11 allows you to diagnose the cause of an app’s termination. A variety of factors could prompt an app’s termination. These include a crash, an ANR, or the user’s decision to deliberately stop the app.
Some Android developers are adding customized code to diagnose the cause of the app’s termination. Such codes help developers build their own analytics to improve the app’s performance.
Activity Manager API to diagnose termination causes
Android 11 has made the diagnosis process easier for you by introducing an activity manager API. This API enables you to report historical information associated with the app’s termination. The app can use the API to retrieve all the available historical process exit diagnostics information. These pieces of information could the specific causes of a process termination, such as ANRs, memory issues, or any other reasons.
App termination due to ANR
If the termination is due to an ANR, ApplicationExitInfo.getTraceInputStream() will return an InputStream to the stack trace dump of the app prior to the termination. It will help you with app development projects where privacy and security cause additional complexity. Such cases usually arise in newer versions of the Android OS.
API for store custom state information
You can also use ActivityManager.setProcessStateSummary() coding method to store custom state information about the app. This API helps you save arbitrary process data and debug a section of the code. Knowing the app’s state before process termination is critical to diagnosis and recovery.
Conclusion
These new tools are likely to make Android apps are more privacy-sensitive and stable. Android’s continuous efforts to making the app development platform better and more transparent make such a widely preferred framework. At Android Developer, we have a team of technology-savvy mobile app developers. They keep themselves abreast of all the latest development tools and market trends. Follow our blogs to stay updated about Android development trends.
FAQs
Q. How much does it cost to build an Android app?
The development cost for an Android mobile app depends on what kind of app you need. Costs are lower for an app with a basic design and simpler features. If you need a high-performance app with more advanced features, the cost will be comparatively higher. We offer competitive pricing for every kind of app.
Q. Is Kotlin better than Java for Android development?
Kotlin adds many advanced features to mobile app development. It is being increasingly used by the Android app developers’ community. Kotlin can compile the code to JavaScript or native. It enables developers to build code that can run both on Android and iOS. It’s a statically-typed language. Kotlin’s key features like built-in null safety support make apps flawless and user friendly.
Q. What is Rapid Application Development used for?
Rapid application development (RAD) is a concept of software development which emphasizes working on software and being more adaptive. This development concept, introduced by James Martin in the 1980s, focuses on speed and used strategies such as prototyping, iterative development, and time boxing.
