Android apps are software applications that run on the Android OS. They can be installed on Android devices like tablets, TVs and phones. They’re excellent at using the camera, touchscreen, and GPS features of the device. The presence of a lot of apps on an Android phone can, however, affect battery life and performance.
Understanding the Android platform and its design principles is essential to developing Android apps. It also involves creating an appropriate app architecture that is able to separate UI and OS-related code into parts which share responsibilities. These components can be activated in asynchronous fashion by the system via a broadcast mechanism triggered by intentions.
Kotlin is gaining popularity as a programming language for Android development. Both languages are supported by the Android SDK. A large developer community is online to help those who are new other to the language and fix issues.
The Android OS is divided into layers. The app layer includes the standard apps that come with the OS, in addition to any other proprietary apps that are specifically designed for specific devices, for example, phones with a music player and dialer. The Android app layer also includes customized firmware, such as CyanogenMod or OMFGB. These are installed to customize the functionality of certain devices.
Compatibility is a different factor which prevents some apps from functioning. If an app is designed for the US but is not compatible with your European device, it won’t work and will be listed in the Play Store as “incompatible”.