Posted by Adarsh Fernando, Senior Product Supervisor, Android Developer Instruments
Validating your app on a spread of Android screens is a vital step to creating a top quality Android app. Nonetheless, gaining access to the gadget you want, once you want it, will be difficult and time consuming. From making an attempt to breed a tool particular conduct on a Samsung gadget to testing your adaptive app layouts on the Google Pixel Fold, having the suitable gadget on the proper time is vital.
To handle this app developer use case, we created Android Machine Streaming, powered by Firebase. With only a few clicks, you and your staff can entry actual bodily gadgets, equivalent to the most recent Pixel and Samsung gadgets, and use them within the IDE in most of the methods you’ll use a bodily gadget sitting in your desk.
Right this moment, Android Machine Streaming is in beta and is out there to all Android builders utilizing Android Studio Jellyfish or later. We’ve additionally added new gadgets to the catalog and launched versatile pricing that gives low-cost entry to the most recent Android gadgets.
Learn beneath to study what modifications are on this launch, in addition to frequent questions round makes use of, safety, and pricing. Nonetheless, if you wish to get began straight away and take a look at Android Machine Streaming for free of charge, see our getting began information.
What are you able to do with Android Machine Streaming?
For those who’ve ever used Machine Mirroring, you understand that Android Studio allows you to see the display of your native bodily gadget throughout the IDE window. With out having to bodily attain out to your gadget, you’re in a position to change the gadget orientation, change the posture of foldables, simulate urgent bodily buttons, work together along with your app, and extra. Android Machine Streaming leverages these similar capabilities, permitting you to attach and work together with distant bodily gadgets offered by Firebase.
While you use Android Studio to request a tool from Android Machine Streaming, the IDE establishes a safe ADB over SSL connection to the gadget. The connection additionally allows you to use acquainted instruments in Android Studio that talk with the gadget, such because the Debugger, Profiler, Machine Explorer, Logcat, Compose Stay Edit, and extra. These instruments allow you to extra precisely validate, take a look at, and debug the conduct of your app on actual OEM {hardware}.
What gadgets would my staff have entry to?
Android Machine Streaming offers you and your staff entry to plenty of gadgets operating Android variations 8.1 by 14. You have got entry to the most recent flagship gadgets from high gadget producers, equivalent to Google Pixel and Samsung. You may develop testing your app throughout extra kind elements with entry to the most recent foldables and tablets, such because the Samsung Tab S8 Extremely.
And we’re often including new gadgets to our present catalog of 20+ gadget fashions, equivalent to the next current additions:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Extremely
- Google Pixel 8a
With out having to buy costly gadgets, every staff member can entry Firebase’s catalog of gadgets in only a few clicks, for so long as they want—giving your staff confidence that your app seems nice throughout a wide range of standard gadgets.
As we talked about at Google I/O ‘24, we’re partnering with high Unique Gear Producers (OEMs), equivalent to Samsung, Google Pixel, Oppo, and Xiaomi, to develop gadget choice and availability even additional within the months to come back. This helps the catalog of gadgets develop and keep forward of ecosystem traits, with the intention to validate that your apps work nice on the most recent gadgets earlier than they attain the vast majority of your customers.
Is Android Machine Streaming safe?
Android Machine Streaming, powered by Firebase, takes the safety and privateness of your gadget classes very severely. Firebase gadgets are hosted in safe world information facilities and Android Studio makes use of an SSL connection to connect with the gadget.
A tool that you simply’ve used to put in and take a look at your app on is rarely shared with one other consumer or Google service earlier than being utterly erased and manufacturing unit reset. While you’re executed utilizing a tool, you are able to do this your self by clicking “Return and Erase Machine” to totally erase and manufacturing unit reset it. The identical applies if the session expires and the gadget is returned robotically.
How a lot does Android Machine Streaming value?
Relying in your Firebase challenge’s pricing plan, Android Machine Streaming customers can use Android Machine Streaming with the next pricing:
- On June 1, 2024, for a promotional interval:
- (no value) Spark plan: 120 no value minutes per challenge, per 30 days
- Blaze plan: 120 no value minutes per challenge, per 30 days, 15 cents for every further minute
- On or round February, 2025, the promotional interval will finish and billing shall be primarily based on the next quota limits:
- (no value) Spark plan: 30 no value minutes per challenge, per 30 days
- Blaze plan: 30 no value minutes per challenge, per 30 days, 15 cents for every further minute
With no month-to-month or yearly contracts, Android Machine Streaming’s per-minute billing gives unparalleled flexibility for you and your staff. And importantly, you don’t pay for any time frame required to arrange the gadget earlier than you join, or erase the gadget after you finish your session. This enables you and your staff to save lots of time and prices in comparison with buying and managing your personal gadget lab.
To study extra, see Utilization ranges, quotas, and pricing.
What’s subsequent
We’re actually excited for you and your staff to attempt Android Machine Streaming, powered by Firebase. We predict it’s a simple and cost-effective method so that you can entry the gadgets you want, once you want them, and proper out of your IDE, with the intention to guarantee the very best quality and performance of your app on your customers.
The most effective half is, you may check out this new service in only a few clicks and for free of charge. And our economical per-minute pricing gives elevated flexibility on your staff to transcend the month-to-month quota, so that you simply solely pay for the time you’re actively related to a tool—no subscriptions or long-term commitments required.
You may count on that the service shall be including extra gadgets from high OEM companions to the catalog, to make sure that gadget choice stays up-to-date and turns into more and more various. Attempt Android Machine Streaming at this time and share your expertise with the Android developer committee on LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, or X.