Posted By Dave Burke, VP of Engineering
Four weeks agone at Google I/O nosotros released the outset beta version of Android P, putting AI at the heart in addition to individual of the operating organization in addition to focusing on intelligent in addition to elementary experiences.
We talked close some of Android's newest features inwards the keynotes in addition to went deep on the developer APIs during the breakouts. If y'all missed the livestream, brand certain to banking concern jibe out the full playlist of Android talks.
Today we're releasing Android P Beta 2, an update that includes the final Android P APIs, the latest organization images, in addition to updated developer tools to assistance y'all acquire create for the consumer liberate coming afterward inwards the summer.
You tin acquire Android P Beta 2 on Pixel devices past times enrolling here. If you're already enrolled in addition to received the Android P Beta 1 on your Pixel device, you'll automatically acquire the update to Beta 2. Partners that are participating inwards the Android P Beta program volition travel updating their devices over the coming weeks.
Enhance your app amongst Android P features in addition to APIs
Android P Beta 2 is the latest update of our upcoming Android P platform in addition to includes the concluding APIs (API degree 28) every bit good every bit the official SDK. You tin acquire started edifice amongst the Android P features in addition to APIs today. Here are a few nosotros desire y'all to endeavour -- caput over to the features overview for more.
Machine learning at the core
We partnered amongst DeepMind on a characteristic nosotros telephone outcry upwards Adaptive Battery that uses machine learning to prioritize organization resources for the apps the user cares close most. If your app is optimized for Doze, App Standby, in addition to Background Limits, Adaptive Battery should run good for y'all correct out of the box. Make certain to banking concern jibe out the details inwards the power documentation to regard how it plant in addition to where the impacts could be, in addition to exam your apps to brand certain they are ready.
App Actions is a novel agency to assistance y'all enhance the visibility of your app in addition to assistance drive engagement. Actions accept wages of machine learning on Android to surface your app to the user at merely the correct time, based on your app's semantic intents in addition to the user's context. Actions run on Android P in addition to before versions of the platform in addition to they'll travel available shortly for y'all to start using. Sign upwards here to travel notified when Actions are available.
Slices are a novel agency to surface rich, templated content inwards places similar Google Search in addition to Assistant. They're interactive, in addition to through Android Jetpack they're compatible all the agency dorsum to KitKat. Check out the Getting Started guide to larn how to construct amongst Slices -- y'all tin purpose the SliceViewer tool to regard how your Slices look. Over fourth dimension nosotros innovation to expand the number of places that your Slices tin appear, including remote display inwards other apps.
Simplicity, polish
Android P adds platform back upwards for screens amongst display cutouts, in addition to we've added new APIs to allow y'all deliver a rich, edge-to-edge sense on the latest screens. Cutout back upwards plant seamlessly for apps, amongst the organization managing status bar superlative to form your content from the cutout. If y'all guide keep immersive content, y'all tin purpose the display cutout APIs to banking concern jibe the seat in addition to shape of the cutout in addition to asking full-screen layout around it.
All developers should banking concern jibe out the docs to larn how to acquire by the cutout expanse in addition to avoid mutual compatibility issues that tin comport on apps. Make certain to exam your app on a device that has a display cutout, such every bit i of the Android P Beta devices.
Apps amongst immersive content tin display content fullscreen on devices amongst a display cutout.
If your app uses messaging notifications, accept wages of the changes inwards MessagingStyle that brand notifications fifty-fifty to a greater extent than useful in addition to actionable. You tin instantly exhibit conversations, attach photos in addition to stickers, in addition to fifty-fifty advise smart replies. You'll shortly travel able to purpose ML Kit to generate smart reply suggestions your app.
MessagingStyle notifications amongst conversations in addition to smart replies [left], images in addition to stickers [right].
Security
With a make of biometric sensors inwards purpose for authentication, we've made the sense to a greater extent than consistent across sensor types in addition to apps. Android P introduces a system-managed dialog to prompt the user for whatever supported type of biometric authentication. Apps no longer necessitate to construct their ain dialog -- instead they purpose the BiometricPrompt API to exhibit the criterion organization dialog. In add-on to Fingerprint (including in-display sensors), the API supports Face in addition to Iris authentication.
If your app is drawing its ain fingerprint auth dialogs, y'all should switch to using the BiometricPrompt API every bit shortly every bit possible.
More
If your app uses the device camera, endeavour the novel multi-camera APIs that allow y'all access streams simultaneously from ii or to a greater extent than physical cameras. On devices amongst dual cameras, y'all tin create innovative features non possible amongst a unmarried photographic tv set camera -- such every bit seamless zoom, bokeh, in addition to stereo vision. You tin acquire started today using whatever of the Android P Beta devices that offers a dual camera.
Audio apps tin purpose the Dynamics Processing API for access to a multi-stage, multi-band dynamics processing number to modify the sound coming out of Android devices in addition to optimize it according to the preferences of the listener or the ambient conditions. 
Take a await at the Android P features overview for a consummate listing of the novel features in addition to APIs.
Get started inwards a few elementary steps
First, make your app compatible in addition to give your users a seamless transition to Android P. Just install your electrical flow app from Google Play on a Android P Beta device or emulator in addition to exam -- the app should run in addition to await great, in addition to handgrip Android P behavior modify for all apps properly. After you've made whatever necessary updates, nosotros recommend publishing to Google Play correct away without changing the app's platform targeting.
If y'all don't guide keep a supported device, call upwards that y'all tin set upwards an Android Virtual Device on the Android Emulator every bit your exam surroundings instead. If y'all haven't tried the emulator recently, you'll discover that it's incredibly fast, boots inwards nether half dozen seconds, in addition to fifty-fifty lets y'all model next-gen screens -- such every bit long screens in addition to screens amongst display cutout.
Next, update your app's targetSdkVersion to 28 every bit shortly every bit possible, thence Android P users of your app tin practice goodness from the platform's latest security, performance, in addition to stability features. If your app is already targeting API 26+ inwards business amongst Google Play's upcoming policies, in addition to thence changing to target 28 should travel a small-scale jump.
It's also of import to test your apps for uses of non-SDK interfaces in addition to trim your reliance on them. As noted previously, inwards Android P we're starting a gradual procedure to limit access to selected non-SDK interfaces. Watch for logcat warnings that highlight straight uses of restricted non-SDK interfaces in addition to endeavour the novel StrictMode method detectNonSdkApiUsage() to select guide keep of accesses programmatically. Where possible, y'all should motion to using populace equivalents from the Android SDK or NDK. If there's no populace API that meets your use-case, delight let us know.
When you're ready, dive into Android P in addition to larn close the new features in addition to APIs to extend your apps. To construct amongst the novel APIs, just download the official API 28 SDK in addition to tools into Android Studio 3.1, or purpose the latest version of Android Studio 3.2. Then update your project's compileSdkVersion in addition to targetSdkVersion to API 28.
Visit the Developer Preview site for details in addition to documentation. Also banking concern jibe out this video in addition to the Google I/O Android playlist for to a greater extent than on what's novel inwards Android P for developers.
Publish to Google Play alpha, beta, or production channels
Starting today y'all tin unwrap your APK updates that are compiled against, or optionally targeting, API 28. Publishing an update to Google Play during the preview lets y'all force updates to users to exam compatibility on existing devices, including devices running Android P Beta 2.
To brand certain that your updated app runs good on Android P every bit good every bit older versions, a mutual strategy is to purpose Google Play's beta testing feature to acquire early on feedback from a small-scale grouping of users -- including Android P Beta 2 users — in addition to and thence practice a staged rollout to production.
How to acquire Android P Beta 2
For Pixel devices, y'all tin enroll your device inwards the Android Beta program in addition to you'll automatically have the update to Android P Beta 2 over-the-air. If you're already enrolled in addition to received Beta 1, sentry for the update coming your agency soon. Partners that are participating inwards the Android P Beta program volition travel updating their devices over the coming weeks.
You tin regard the total listing of supported partner in addition to Pixel devices at android.com/beta. For each device you'll discover specs in addition to links to the manufacturer's dedicated site for downloads, support, in addition to to study issues.
Thanks for all of your feedback thence far. Please transcend away along to part feedback or requests every bit nosotros run towards the consumer liberate afterward this summer. Feel gratuitous to purpose our hotlists for platform issues, app compatibility issues, in addition to third-party SDK issues.
We're looking forrad to seeing your apps on Android P!
