Posted by Sandhya Mohan, Product Supervisor, Android Studio
As we speak, we’re thrilled to announce the steady launch of Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop (2024.1.2)!🐨
Earlier this yr, we introduced that each Android Studio animal model can have two releases: a platform launch and a characteristic drop launch. These extra frequent updates get essential IntelliJ updates to you quicker, whereas we concentrate on high quality and polish for Android-specific options. The Koala platform launch was launched in June. As we speak, we’ll stroll by the characteristic drop launch.
Get entry to cutting-edge options like new gadgets in machine streaming, Compose previews for Look widgets, USB cable pace detection, assist for Android 15 within the Android SDK Improve Assistant, and rather more. All of those new options are designed to speed up your Android app improvement workflow in constructing next-generation and high-quality apps.
Learn on to be taught extra about all of the updates, high quality enhancements, and new options throughout your key workflows in Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop, and obtain the most recent steady model as we speak to attempt them out!
Develop
Android Machine Streaming: extra gadgets and improved sign-up
Android Machine Streaming now consists of the next gadgets, along with the portfolio of 20+ machine fashions already obtainable:
Moreover, for those who’re new to Firebase, Android Studio routinely creates and units up a no-cost Firebase venture for you if you sign-in to Android Studio to make use of Machine Streaming. In consequence, you will get to streaming the machine you want a lot sooner. Study extra about Android Machine Streaming quotas, together with promotional quota for the Firebase Blaze plan initiatives obtainable for a restricted time.
As we introduced at Google I/O 2024, we’re additional increasing the choice of gadgets obtainable by working with companions, corresponding to Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, to can help you hook up with gadgets hosted of their machine labs. To be taught extra and enroll within the upcoming Early Entry Preview, see the official weblog put up.
Goal Android 15 utilizing Android SDK Improve Assistant
The Android SDK Improve Assistant supplies a step-by-step wizard that can assist you improve your targetSdkVersion. It additionally pulls documentation instantly into Android Studio, saving you effort and time. Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop provides assist for upgrading initiatives to Android 15 (API Degree 35).
Up to date sign-in circulate to Google companies
It is now simpler to check in to a number of Google companies with one authentication step. Whether or not you employ Gemini in Android Studio, Firebase for Android Machine Streaming, Crashlytics in App High quality Insights, Google Play for Android Vitals experiences, or some mixture of those companies, the brand new sign-in circulate makes it simpler to rise up and working. With granular permissions scoping, you may at all times be accountable for which companies have entry to your account. To get began, click on the profile avatar on the highest proper nook and sign-in along with your developer account.
Put on OS Tile Preview Panel
Now you can view snapshots of your Put on OS app’s tiles by together with model 1.4 of the Jetpack Tiles library. This preview panel is especially helpful in case your tile’s look modifications primarily based on sure situations, corresponding to content material that relies on the machine’s show measurement, or a sports activities occasion reaching halftime.
Compose Look widget previews
Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop makes it simple to preview your Jetpack Compose Look widgets instantly inside the IDE. You possibly can even use multi-previews to preview at commonplace widget sizes and their designed widget breakpoints (pattern code). Catch potential UI points and fine-tune your widget’s look early within the improvement course of or whereas debugging any UI points. Study extra.
Dwell Edit (Compose)
Dwell Edit is now enabled in handbook mode by default. It has elevated stability and extra strong change detection, together with assist for import statements. Observe that beginning with Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop, the default shortcut to push your modifications in handbook mode has been up to date to Management+’ (Command+’ on macOS). You possibly can customise the shortcut on the Keymap settings web page.
Debug
USB Cable Pace Detection
Android Studio now detects when it is attainable to attach your Android machine with a sooner USB cable and suggests an improve that maximizes your machine capabilities. Utilizing an applicable USB cable optimizes app set up time and minimizes latency when utilizing instruments such because the Android Studio debugger. USB cable pace detection is at present obtainable for macOS and Linux. Study extra.
Whereas most available USB cables are nonetheless the older USB 2.0 commonplace, nearly all of trendy gadgets assist the considerably sooner USB 3.0. Upgrading to a USB 3.0 cable can doubtlessly improve your information switch speeds as much as 10x.
Machine UI Shortcuts
That can assist you construct and debug your UI, we have launched Machine UI shortcuts button motion within the Working Gadgets software window in Android Studio. Use the shortcuts to view the impact of frequent UI settings corresponding to darkish theme, font measurement, display screen measurement, app language and TalkBack. You should utilize the shortcuts with emulators, mirrored bodily gadgets, and gadgets streamed from Firebase Check Lab. Machine UI shortcuts can be found for gadgets working API stage 33 or increased. Study extra.
Pixel 8a in Emulator
The Android Emulator (35.1+) now helps the Pixel 8a within the steady channel, enabling you to check your apps on extra Pixel gadgets while not having a bodily machine. Discover the brand new Pixel 8a within the telephone class if you create a brand new digital machine. Moreover, yow will discover Pixel 9 gadgets within the canary launch channel of Android Studio.
Optimize
Quicker and improved Profiler with a task-centric strategy
Standard efficiency optimization duties like capturing a system hint with profileable apps now begin as much as 60% sooner*. The Profiler’s task-centric redesign additionally makes it simpler to begin the duty you are inquisitive about, whether or not it is profiling your app’s CPU, reminiscence, or energy utilization. For instance, you can begin a system hint process to profile and enhance your app’s startup time proper from the UI as quickly as you open the Profiler.
High quality enhancements
Past new options, we additionally proceed to enhance the general high quality and stability of Android Studio. In actual fact, the Android Studio staff addressed over 520 bugs through the Koala Characteristic Drop improvement cycle.
IntelliJ platform replace
Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop (2024.1.2) consists of the IntelliJ 2024.1 platform launch, which has many new options corresponding to complete assist for the most recent Java** 22 options, an improved terminal, and sticky strains within the editor to simplify working with massive information and exploring new codebases.
- The improved terminal encompasses a contemporary new look, with instructions separated into distinct blocks, together with an expanded set of options, corresponding to clean navigation between blocks, command completion, and easy accessibility to the command historical past. Study extra.
- Sticky strains within the editor retains key structural parts, just like the beginnings of courses or strategies, pinned to the highest of the editor as you scroll and supplies an choice to promptly navigate by the code by clicking on a pinned line. Study extra.
- Primary IDE functionalities like code highlighting and completion now work for Java and Kotlin throughout venture indexing, which ought to improve your startup expertise.
See the complete launch notes right here.
Abstract
To recap, Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop consists of the next enhancements and options:
Develop
- Android Machine Streaming: extra gadgets and improved sign-up
- Goal Android 15 utilizing Android SDK Improve Assistant
- Up to date sign-in circulate to Google companies
- Put on OS Tile Preview Panel
- Compose Look widget previews
Debug
- USB Cable Pace Detection
- Machine UI Settings Picker
Optimize
- New Process UX for Profilers
High quality Enhancements
IntelliJ Platform Replace
- Sticky strains within the editor to simplify working with massive codebases
- Enhanced startup expertise
Getting Began
Prepared for next-level Android improvement? Obtain Android Studio Koala Characteristic Drop and unlock these cutting-edge options as we speak! As at all times, your suggestions is essential to us – test identified points, report bugs, counsel enhancements, and be a part of our vibrant neighborhood on LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, or X. Let’s construct the way forward for Android apps collectively!
**Java is a trademark or registered trademark of Oracle and/or its associates.