December 21, 2019

How to build an app for Wear OS

Introduction

The development of an Android application is a lucrative and popular thing in the program development world. This is because the Android development platform offers services wanted by millions of people across the world. Andriod development is one of the fast-developing operating systems, and its services are the most recommendable if you want to get in touch with a humongous audience as a software developer.

Procedures for Android development Application for Wear OS services

Applications that operate on wears are called Wear OS applications. These applications are just like other applications that operate with Android SDK, just that their functionality and design are different. Below are the steps to take in creating a Wear OS application.

Creating an environment

In setting up an environment, you should install the most recent version of the Android studio and verify that you have the most recent type of Android platform through the SDK manager.

Developing of a Wear OS app

The development of A Wear OS app can be done through Android Studio’s New Project wizard. For this procedure, the first step of developing a Wear OS app is to set up a project in Android Studio. To do that, open a new File then create a new Project.

Forthwith this, go to Configure Your Project Screen, then click “Next” after accepting default values. Next, on the Target Audience Device screen, pick Wear as the option then Select the recent option for the Minimum SDK.

After this, select “Next” then add “Blank Wear activity” on the Wear screen. After it has been done, select the Finish icon on the Customize the Activity screen. Surely, if these procedures above are followed strictly, with the use of the Android Studio template, an application is created.

After developing the application, you still have some confirmation to makes. So, you should enter the ” build. Gradle” file for the module of the app and to check and verify that the compiled version, and the targetSdkVersion, is 26 in the Andriod section.

Forthwith this confirmation, the next stage is updating the dependencies. The first and second dependency is for the Wear UI Library and the Wearable Support Library. The first dependency ( Wear UI Library) entails classes that show decent practices while the second, the Wearable Support Library, entails more classes from the first.

The next thing to work on is the Andriod manifestation file. To do this, get into the file and point out that your application is standalone. Then, add a meta-data tag by finding the tag of the application and also make the Andriod name “com.google.android.wearable.standalone” and the value “True”.

In this same Andriod manifestation file, make sure that the user-feature tag is described as “android.hardware.type.watch.” Then, synchronize the Andriod studio project.

Adding Wear UI Libraries

One of the benefits of using Andriod studio for the development of Wear OS that it has project setup, packaging, and inclusion of the library.

Andriod support Libraries ensure consistency as well as interfaces across the application. The Andriod support Libraries entail the Wear UI library that has many UI units, which are imperative because they show and exemplify the best functionality for watch apps.

Wearable Support Library

For Wearable Support Library, it provides UI components for watch applications and consist classes that give many advantages as it has a layout which is useful for applying insets for the screen that is round and allows dismissal of views from the screen. Apart from this, it entails AmbientModeSupport and the WearableRecyclerView. The former is a view that gives a curved layout while the latter is an ambient mode support provider.

Although the components change sometimes, this affects or result in any breakage in the application.

Thus, adding a dependency on the Andriod Support Library is highly recommended.

Wear OS Data Layer APIs and Play Service

As a Wear OS App Developer, You Need The Most Recent Version Of GOOGLE Play Services If The Application relies on Google play services for synchronizing and sending data.

Also, in creating a Wear OS application, you must consider the conversation of the power on a watch. For this reason, your application should allow the ambient mode. So, when the watch is inactive or being covered on the screen, there would be a switch from interactive mode to ambient mode. Applications that support the ambient mode are called always-on apps.

Conclusively, Andriod development application development is a generic thing in the mobile services world. So, it requires creativity and uniqueness for your services as a developer to be demanded. Accordingly, Andriod Application Development for W OS wears although it is a bit different from Andriod SDK, is almost like it.

About the author 

Imran Uddin


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