The mobile app development industry is huge and everyone we know uses mobile apps of some sort or another.
It would not be unfair to say that the mobile app development industry is the largest facet of software development.
Mobile app downloads number in the billions each year and this includes all kinds of apps from all platforms but the important thing to understand here is that Android is by far the largest platform.
Android outshines the competition on nearly every continent by a lot and if you compare the total then Android occupies nearly 70% of the mobile app market share.
Let us look at an amazing avenue of Android app development.
Imagine if you could experience what it means to use an application without installing it and without the application taking up space in your smartphone.
Imagine this application experience being very similar to the original app so that you can have a very similar experience without sacrificing any of the elements or any of the important elements.
That is exactly what we are going to talk about because this kind of experience is known as instant apps.
Today we are going to talk about a very cool concept of apps from Android by the name of instant apps which was revealed to Android developers all the way back in Google IO 2016.
This generated a lot of hype around instant apps because of the transformative way it is able to help users understand and get to know an application without downloading it.
Today we are going to talk about what are instant apps and what are the clear advantages they have over downloading the entire application and experiencing it.
So, let us start by understanding what are instant apps so that we can have a better idea about how they work.
What Are Instant Apps for Android?
Instant apps are a modern approach to Android app development that lets developers create a lightweight version of every app in order for users to experience that app without having to download the entire app.
This means instant apps will allow users to experience the most important elements of the app without having to go through the entire process of downloading.
There are a lot of advantages to instant apps and one of the clear advantages is that everyone will be able to experience the app seamlessly since you are not downloading the entire app.
Another clear advantage of this kind of approach is that if your phone does not have a lot of storage then this is a great option to try out multiple apps before you choose the best one for yourself.
Apart from this, there are a lot of other clear advantages of using instant apps and let us look at these advantages, but before that, let’s look at the features of instant apps.
Features Of Instant Apps
No Additional App
The best feature of instant apps is that you do not need to publish a separate app for the users to use the app.
You can simply upgrade your regular Android app and it will have the facility to accommodate instant apps.
There are multiple ways to access this instant app without it actually requiring any kind of storage space like what is typical of a regular app.
Requires No Installation
The second-best feature about instant apps is that they do not require you to install the app which means you can expect a very seamless and smooth experience without having to put in the same level of commitment as installing the app.
Instant apps provide an on-demand experience just like visiting a website from your browser but much more seamless and much more app-like.
This means you can use this kind of functionality for using the instant app version of your favourite app for any kind of functionality you like.
Modular Design
Designing instant apps is quite easy for developers because they can simply break down their apps into smaller functional components and integrate those components as the instant app.
This is very helpful for users as well for example let’s say you have a map and navigation app and a certain user does not usually drive but they need to drive only on a rate occasion for the holidays. They can simply try out the instant app version of your navigation app.
This provides them with the best kind of trial experience and it might even compel them to download the actual app if there happy with the instant app.
The modular design of the instant app makes it possible for people to try out all the core functionalities of your app.
Multiple Usage Options
Instant apps can be accessed by multiple techniques and one of the easiest ways to access instant apps is with the help of links.
These links can be shared with the help of text messages that you can directly send your friend and they can click on it and launch the instant app. This is one of the most popular ways of accessing instant apps.
These links can also be accessed with the help of a simple Google search and you can also get these links from social media.
In addition to that, instant apps can also be accessed through NFC and QR codes.
This just speaks to the level of versatility of these apps as you can simply have a QR code of the instant app right outside your business and people can check it out.
No Security Compromises
One of the most important things to keep in mind about instant apps is that while they offer a complete experience when it comes to the actual app they are based on, they do not require any kind of app permissions for the users to use the app.
This is one of the best security measures that elevates the practicality of instant apps and apart from that they also utilise the same level of sandboxing and permission systems that are required by Google to ensure data safety.
This allows users to completely experience an app without any chance of the app getting access to the users’ sensitive information.
Backwards Compatibility
Unlike regular apps that are sometimes not compatible with older versions of Android, instant apps are backwards compatible with versions running Android 6.0 and above.
This means you can have a device that’s nearly 10 years old and you can still utilise this amazing feature of Android app development in the form of instant apps.
This is amazing not this from the point of view of developers who will be able to make sure more users try out their apps but it is also very practical from the point of view of users because they do not need to think about compatibility issues.
Benefits Of Instant Apps
Negligible Development Time
Developing instant apps is very simple and does not require a lot of steps and this is one of the most important benefits of instant apps which makes them very practical for developers.
Unlike regular apps that need a complete development cycle, instant apps are just a modular carefully selected and compiled version of the original app with the same code base.
This means you can develop instant apps in no time.
Good User Experience
Instant apps provide a better user experience in that it has a lot of benefits for users. The first benefit is that it is highly practical which means users can simply try out the app without installing it.
This means faster app access as they can simply go to a link and use the app and if they like it then they can install the full version of the app.
This provides them with a very seamless experience which helps them check out all the most important features of the app without installing it and even staying safe from providing app permissions.
The second thing is that instant apps do not compromise on performance unless we are talking about a very high-performance gaming app as instant apps can just be sufficient for any other kind of use.
This can very well be applicable to most Android games.
No Storage Requirements
Instant apps are very practical when it comes to their functionality because instant apps are compatible with every kind of device out there.
This is because instant apps do not require a lot of storage to operate and they do not occupy any permanent space on the device.
This means you can use the instant app without having to download anything and it is a great advantage to users who are using devices with low storage.
This is also good from a security perspective because instant apps do not need access to user files which means users can safely use the instant apps without thinking of any kind of data privacy issues.
Good For Conversions
If you are a business and you are looking for people to download your app then the best kind of approach would be some kind of trial option.
This will allow the users to try out the app in a limited capacity which will then help them make the decision of whether they want to download the app. That conversion is beneficial to your business.
Now in any other situation, it would be very difficult to make someone download a trial app so that they can ultimately download the actual app.
That kind of concept is non-existent in app development, especially regular eCommerce apps.
Instant apps mean people can access your eCommerce app and even do shopping on that app and they will not even need to download the actual app.
And if they want then they are going to download the app the actual app if they like using the instant app.
This is the best kind of app trial you can provide at the moment in the market and companies all over the world are doing just that as they are utilising instant apps to market their actual app and most importantly their services.
Finance Compatibility
Android instant apps are completely compatible with financial transactions which means they can be an excellent option for E-Commerce platforms.
When it comes to eCommerce, users do not really need a lot of performance-intensive functionality because they just need to be able to look at product listings, add them to a cart and pay for them.
That is exactly why instant apps are excellent because instant app environments are completely integrated with Google Play services which makes secure payment quite easy.
Instant apps can be integrated with payment methods like Google Pay or any other kind of payment app such as PayPal and much more.
This makes instant apps a favourite for eCommerce platforms and businesses because they are able to showcase the app as well as allow users to do business transactions at the same time.
Instant apps have amazing potential when it comes to diverse use cases because they can be utilised by a gaming company to showcase their Android game and they can be utilised by an eCommerce business to showcase their products.
Instant apps can be deployed to a wide range of devices because anything above Android Marshmallow and that device can support instant apps.
Instant apps have amazing potential to be very popular. However, only time will tell whether Google is going to promote instant apps as much and we hope this blog generates traction for instant apps.
If you are someone who is interested in utilising instant apps to showcase your actual app and if you want your users to experience your primary app in a seamless way then we are here for you.
We are Think To Share IT Solutions and we are renowned for our Android and iOS app development services and we also are industry experts when it comes to creating instant apps.
We can help you with all your app development needs and along with that we also provide nearly every kind of IT solutions and services.
We welcome you to visit our website and check out everything will do.
