After its launch in April, Gemini in Android Studio is becoming increasingly capable throughout the development lifecycle. Key features include:
Gemini Code Transforms: Modify and refactor your code directly in the editor.
Commit Message Generation: Automatically create commit messages with Gemini.
Rethink and Rename: Get assistance with renaming classes, methods, and variables.
These features are currently available in the Android Studio canary channel and are expected to be included in the stable release with the upcoming Ladybug Feature Drop in late December.
On the distribution front, Google Play is introducing a fullscreen portrait video player for app listings, featuring a prominent “Install” button and app details displayed at the bottom.
Additionally, Google is actively encouraging users to set up payment methods during Google Account creation, device setup, and within the Play Store. This initiative has led to a doubling of purchase-ready accounts this year, surpassing half a billion users. Google is also promoting biometric authentication for purchase verification.
In terms of security, developers will soon have the option to opt into enhanced Play Integrity API verdicts, utilizing hardware security and other signals on Android 13+ devices.
Gemini also offers several new functionalities:
Prompt Library: Save and recall frequently used prompts.
Compose Preview Generation: Automatically generate previews for your composables.
Documentation Generation: Assist in documenting your code.
Unit Test Scenario Generation: Generate scenarios for unit testing.
Build/Sync Error Insights: Get help troubleshooting build and sync errors.
App Quality Insights: Receive guidance on resolving crashes from Android Vitals and Firebase Crashlytics.
