ActionBarCompat and I/O 2013 App Source

Posted by Chris Banes, Android Developer RelationsFollowing on the Android 4.3 and Nexus 7 announcements, we recently released two important tools to help you build beautiful apps that follow Android Design best practices:We released a new backward-compatible Action Bar implementation called ActionBarCompat that's...

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Unlocking More Users, with Tablets and Games

Posted by Purnima Kochikar, Director of Business Development, Games & ApplicationsLast week, we unveiled a number of new things in the world of Android. And while we already showcased the new tools available at your disposal in Android 4.3, we also unveiled a new Nexus 7 tablet, as well as the Google Play...

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Android 4.3 and Updated Developer Tools

Posted by Dave Burke, Engineering Director, Android Platform Today in San Francisco we announced Android 4.3, a sweeter version of Jelly Bean that includes great new features for users and developers. Android 4.3 powers the new Nexus 7 tablet that's coming soon to Google Play and retail outlets, and it’s rolling...

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Making Beautiful Android App Icons

Posted by Roman Nurik, Android Developer RelationsFor most users, the launcher icon (sometimes referred to as the app icon) is the first impression of your app. As higher density screens on both phones and tablets gain popularity, it's important to make sure your launcher icon is crisp and high quality. To do...

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Mid Year 2013 Android Developer Survey

Posted by Reto Meier, Android Developer Relations Tech LeadThe 2013 mid-year Android Developer Survey is now open!Last year more than 5,000 of you shared your Android Development experiences and challenges with us, and your responses directly influenced our choices and priorities for building things like Android...

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The Beautiful Design Summer 2013 Collection on Google Play

Posted by Marco Paglia, Android Design TeamAttention to detail makes an app truly beautiful: transitions are fast and clear, layout and typography are crisp and meaningful, and design touches that delight you in surprising ways are sprinkled throughout. Today, we’re publishing a new Beautiful Design collection...

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Adding a Backend to Your App In Android Studio

Posted by Sachin Kotwani, Google Cloud Platform teamAndroid Studio lets you easily add a cloud backend to your application, right from your IDE. A backend allows you to implement functionality such as backing up user data to the cloud, serving content to client apps, real-time interactions, sending push notifications...

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Offer Your Educational Apps On Google Play for Education

Posted by Pratip Banerji, Google Play for Education teamLast month, we announced Google Play for Education — a platform enabling developers and content providers to reach K-12 educators and students in the United States through a new Android based initiative. Google Play for Education is an extension of the Google...

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Google Play Developer 8-Step Checkup

Posted by Ellie Powers, Google Play teamGoogle Play gives you tons of options on publishing your apps and connecting with users. But as you get started with new features like beta testing and staged rollouts, it’s a good idea to do a checkup and make sure you’ve covered the basics.1. Boost your developer account...

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Bootstrap Your App's Cloud Services with Mobile Backend Starter

Posted by Brad Abrams, Product Manager, Google Cloud PlatformMany of the best mobile app experiences are powered by services in the cloud. Top Android developers such as Pulse and SongPop have long taken advantage of the convenience and scalability of Google's cloud platform in their businesses. Now with the...

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Watch Android @ Google I/O 2013

Posted by Reto Meier, Android Developer Relations Tech LeadWe had a lot to talk about this year at I/O. We launched Google Play services 3.1 with Google Play games services, improved Location APIs, and Google Cloud Messaging enhancements; Android Studio: A new IDE for Android development based on IntelliJ IDEA...

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Handling Phone Call Requests the Right Way for Users

Posted by Dirk Dougherty, Android Developer RelationsOne of the things users like most about Android is the flexibility to choose which apps should handle common tasks on their devices — from opening a web page or sending an SMS to playing a music file, taking a picture, or making phone calls. This flexibility is provided by Intents.Intents give you a powerful way to integrate your apps deeply into...

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Transitioning to Google Wallet Merchant Center

Posted by Mark Thomas, Product Manager, Google WalletA key focus of Google Wallet is to simplify commerce for merchants and shoppers; for over a year now, consumers on Google Play have been using Wallet to make their purchases, to the benefit of the entire ecosystem. Helping merchants benefit from the growing consumer adoption of mobile commerce is where we believe we can make the most impact. And...

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New Ways to Optimize Your Business in Google Play

Posted by Ellie Powers, Google Play teamThis week at I/O, we were excited to announce some updates to Google Play to help you optimize your business on Google Play: to help you take control of your app publishing, gain insight into your users, and expand your app’s success globally.Play Store’s new view: apps...

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Social Gaming, Location, and More in Google Play Services

Posted by Greg Hartrell, Angana Ghosh, Francesco Nerieri, Francis Ma, and the Google Play services teamSome of the most exciting Android announcements at Google I/O this year are part of our latest Google Play services release, version 3.1.The new version brings you Google Play games services, part of a new cloud-integrated...

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