- The first look images of the next live updates of Android revealed
- Sensation similar to Live iOS activities
- Live updates are currently only functional in the last Android 16 QPR1 beta, but should largely deploy next quarter
Google has unveiled its next live updates feature at the E / O Google event this year in May, and although the deployment of Android 16 has started, it will not be widely available for a few months.
In the meantime, Google has published new information on its version of IOS live activities, including the type of applications that the functionality will take care of.
The live updates of Android 16 are similar to live activities in iOS, which displays timely information and “progression” style notifications on your lock screen which is updated frequently, which means that you will not have to open applications to display their status. Currently, live updates are only functional in the last Android 16 QPR1 beta, but it should land with the Android 16 deployment larger later in the year.
Since he was previewed for the first time on Google I / S, the functionality and appearance of the functionality itself remained ambiguous, but a recent Publication on the Android Developers page Give more details on what we can expect from live updates – including a first overview of the functionality in action.
In Android’s publication, live updates will be used “for activities that are underway, initiated by the user and sensitive to time”. Similarly to live activities in iOS, the live updates of Android 16 will support telephone calls, monitoring of food and carpooling, and “active navigation” for applications that show live progress such as Google Maps.
Google is even in details of how developers should display live updates with regard to time sensitive notifications, using the following explanation:
“Live update is often appropriate for activities that make the transition between live updates and normal notifications. For example, the display of a notification of boarding success is appropriate several hours before the flight of a user, but the notification should only become a live update when the user has an urgent need, as when he arrived at the airport or instead or once the boarding has started. On the other hand, a live update is not suitable for following a package because the user does not need to constantly monitor this’.
Android has its limits
Although Google has given us the long -awaited visual insight to live updates, the company has also been clear with application developers that the functionality should not be abused.
In his article, Google was quite explicit with this, indicating “do not use the live updates to offer accelerated access to the functionality of the application”. Advertisements, promotions, chat messages, alerts, upcoming calendar events and quick access to the application features have been considered “inappropriate uses”.
Now, the only key detail is an official deployment date for live updates. As mentioned above, Live Updates is only available with the last Android 16 QPR1 Beta but Conclusions of Android Authority Tip that applications will start to rely on this function in the next quarter when the update should be put online.
