At present, we’re specializing in one of many final steps in your growth journey, making certain these experiences efficiently attain your customers. Publishing accurately ensures your app is packaged effectively, found by the appropriate gadgets, and offered in the absolute best mild.
Listed below are 5 issues it is advisable find out about publishing and distributing your app for Android XR on Google Play.
1. Uphold high quality with the Android XR app high quality pointers
Some of the vital steps earlier than publishing is making certain your app delivers a secure, snug, and performant consumer expertise.
Following the Android XR App High quality Pointers helps be certain that your app gives customers with a fantastic expertise on gadgets just like the Galaxy XR.
Why high quality issues
These pointers construct upon the giant display screen app high quality pointers, and deal with vital XR-specific standards together with:
Security and luxury: That is paramount. These pointers enable you keep away from inflicting movement illness by setting requirements for digicam motion and body charges, and by limiting visible parts like strobing.
Efficiency: Your app should hit efficiency metrics, resembling goal body charges, to forestall lag and guarantee a fluid, snug expertise.
Interplay: The rules specify advisable minimal sizes for interactive targets (e.g., 48dp minimal, 56dp advisable) to work properly with eye-tracking and hand-tracking inputs.
2. Configure your app manifest accurately
The AndroidManifest.xml file describes vital details about your app. The Android construct instruments, Android system, and Google Play use this info to know what sort of expertise you have constructed and which {hardware} options it requires. Correct configuration is important for proper gadget focusing on and app launch.
Specify which Android XR SDK your app makes use of
In your app manifest, embody android.software program.xr.api.spatial or android.software program.xr.api.openxr to point whether or not you are constructing with the Jetpack XR SDK or constructing with OpenXR or Unity.
In case your app is constructed utilizing OpenXR or Unity, it’s essential to set the android:required attribute to true. For apps constructed with the Jetpack XR SDK, set android:required attribute to true in case your app is revealed to the Android XR devoted launch observe and set android:required attribute to false in case your app is revealed to the cell launch observe.
Set the exercise begin mode
Use the android.window.PROPERTY_XR_ACTIVITY_START_MODE property in your fundamental exercise to outline the default consumer setting:
Test for non-obligatory {hardware} options at runtime
Keep away from setting non-obligatory XR options (like hand monitoring or controllers) to android:required=”true” except they’re actually required in your app. If a tool would not assist a required characteristic, Google Play will cover your app from that gadget. You probably have options set as required however your app may function with out them, then you can unnecessarily restrict your viewers.
As an alternative, verify for superior options dynamically at runtime utilizing the PackageManager class with hasSystemFeature():
Kotlin
val hasHandTracking = packageManager.hasSystemFeature(“android.{hardware}.xr.enter.hand_tracking”)
if (hasHandTracking) {
// Allow high-fidelity hand monitoring options
} else {
// Present a fallback expertise
}
This ensures your app is broadly suitable and leverages superior options after they’re obtainable.
3. Use Play Asset Supply (PAD) to ship giant property
Immersive apps and video games typically comprise giant property that may exceed the usual dimension limits. Use Play Asset Supply (PAD) to handle giant, high-fidelity property. PAD affords versatile supply modes: install-time, quick comply with, and on demand for progressive obtain of content material. Apps which are constructed for Android XR are allowed to ship extra asset packs: as an alternative of a cumulative whole of 4 GB for asset packs delivered on demand or quick comply with, these apps are afforded the next cumulative whole of 30 GB.
For builders constructing with Unity, use Unity Addressables together with Play Asset Supply to handle asset packs.
4. Showcase your app with spatial video previews
To seize the eye of customers searching the Play Retailer on their XR headsets, you’ll be able to present an immersive preview of your app utilizing a spatial video asset. This have to be a 180°, 360°, or stereoscopic video. On Android XR gadgets, the Play Retailer will routinely show this as an immersive 3D preview, permitting customers to expertise the depth and scale of your content material earlier than they set up the app.
5. Select your Google Play launch observe
Google Play gives two pathways for publishing your Android XR app, each utilizing the identical Play Console account:
Choice A: Proceed on the cell launch observe (for spatialized cell apps)
In case you are including spatial XR options to an current cell app, you’ll be able to typically bundle the XR options or content material into your current Android App Bundle (AAB).
This strategy is right in case your app maintains most of its core performance throughout each cell and XR gadgets, and you may proceed publishing the identical AAB to the cell observe. Evaluation this steerage to make sure you’re correctly configuring your app’s manifest file to assist this use case.
Choice B: Publish to the devoted Android XR launch observe
In case you are constructing a brand-new app for XR or if the XR model is functionally too totally different for a single AAB, it is best to publish to the Android XR devoted launch observe.
Apps revealed to the Android XR devoted launch observe are solely seen to Android XR gadgets that assist the android.software program.xr.api.spatial characteristic or the android.software program.xr.api.openxr characteristic, providing you with management over distribution.
By following this steerage, you’ll be able to assist guarantee your revolutionary Android XR apps present a high quality consumer expertise, are packaged effectively, are delivered easily utilizing PAD, and are focused to the gadgets that may run them. Completely happy publishing!