Best Practices for Android App Development

In this article, you will explore Android App development best practices, covering architecture, coding techniques, testing, and performance optimization. By following these best practices, you can create robust and successful Android apps that deliver a great user experience.

If you are developing an Android application, it is essential to follow the best practices recommended by Android to ensure that your app is successful in terms of performance, security, compatibility, testing, distribution, and monetization.

These practices will help you create a quality application that users will love and find easy to use.

Best Practices for User Input

User input is a crucial aspect of any Android application.

It is important to ensure that the user experience is as smooth and error-free as possible.

Here are some best practices to follow for user input:

Use appropriate input types: When developing an Android application, it’s important to use appropriate input types for different text fields. For instance, if a field is intended for numbers, we can improve the user experience by displaying a numeric keypad when the field is in focus.

This can be achieved by setting the input type to “number” in the XML layout file, as shown below:

<EditText
android:id="@+id/number_input"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:inputType="number"
android:hint="Enter a number" />

As developers, we should keep in mind that if a field is intended for a password, then it must show a password hint to make it easy for the user to remember the password. This can be achieved by setting the input type to “password” as shown below:

<EditText
android:id="@+id/password_input"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:inputType="textPassword"
android:hint="Enter your password" />

Best Practices for Background Process

When you’re working with background tasks in your app, it’s important to remember that long-running tasks should not be performed on the UI thread. Instead, use services or AsyncTask to handle them in the background.

If you’re trying to decide between AsyncTask and Services, keep in mind that Services are not affected by most user interface life cycle events. As a result, they can continue running in situations that would shut down an AsyncTask.

Here’s an example of how you might use a service to handle background tasks:

public class MyService extends Service {
private boolean isRunning;

@Override
public void onCreate() {
isRunning = false;
}

@Override
public int onStartCommand(Intent intent, int flags, int startId) {
if (!isRunning) {
// Long-running task
isRunning = true;
}

return START_STICKY;
}

@Override
public void onDestroy() {
isRunning = false;
}

@Override
public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) {
return null;
}
}

Best Practices for Security and Privacy

You should use internal storage instead of external storage to store application files. This is because files stored in external storage can be accessed by any other application on the device, which could compromise sensitive data.

You can use the getFilesDir() method to access the internal storage directory where application can save files. This method returns a File object representing the directory where our application can save files.

Here’s an example of how to use internal storage:

File file = new File(context.getFilesDir(), "my_file.txt");

try {
FileOutputStream outputStream = openFileOutput(file.getName(), Context.MODE_PRIVATE);
outputStream.write("Hello, world!".getBytes());
outputStream.close();
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
}

Best Practices for Performance

As developers, we should ensure that our application’s performance is optimized, not just on the front-end but also on the back-end when the device is connected to a power source or charging. It is recommended to update our application settings whenever the device is connected, such as maximizing the refresh rate.

Here’s an example of how we can do this:

// Get the battery status
IntentFilter ifilter = new IntentFilter(Intent.ACTION_BATTERY_CHANGED);
Intent batteryStatus = context.registerReceiver(null, ifilter);

// Check if the device is charging
int status = batteryStatus.getIntExtra(BatteryManager.EXTRA_STATUS, -1);
boolean isCharging = status == BatteryManager.BATTERY_STATUS_CHARGING ||
status == BatteryManager.BATTERY_STATUS_FULL;

// Get the charging method
int chargePlug = batteryStatus.getIntExtra(BatteryManager.EXTRA_PLUGGED, -1);
boolean usbCharge = chargePlug == BatteryManager.BATTERY_PLUGGED_USB;
boolean acCharge = chargePlug == BatteryManager.BATTERY_PLUGGED_AC;

// Update your application settings if the device is charging
if (isCharging) {
if (usbCharge) {
// Do something when charging via USB
} else if (acCharge) {
// Do something when charging via AC
}
}

Use Content Providers

As a best practice, we use content providers to provide a layer of abstraction between our application and the data it uses. This allows us to control access to our data and ensure that sensitive information is not exposed. We can also define custom permissions for our content provider, which allows us to control which applications can access our data.

Here’s an example of a simple content provider that provides access to a list of contacts:

Cursor cursor = getContentResolver().query(ContactsContract.Contacts.CONTENT_URI,
null, null, null, null);

if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {
String displayName = cursor.getString(cursor.getColumnIndex(
ContactsContract.Contacts.DISPLAY_NAME));
}

Use SSL for Web Connections

As a best practice, we should use SSL when connecting to the web to secure the data transmitted between our application and the web server. By using SSL, we can establish a secure channel that makes it difficult for attackers to intercept or modify the data being transmitted.

To implement SSL in our code, You can use the HttpsURLConnection class instead of the HttpURLConnection class.

Here’s an example of how to use HttpsURLConnection:

URL url = new URL("https://www.example.com/");
HttpsURLConnection connection = (HttpsURLConnection) url.openConnection();
connection.setRequestMethod("GET");

// Get the response
InputStream inputStream = connection.getInputStream();
BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(inputStream));
String line;
while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null) {
Log.d(TAG, line);
}

// Disconnect
connection.disconnect();

Request Permissions for Device Functionality

As developers, we should use permissions to restrict access to certain functionalities of the device. This way, we can make sure that our application has access only to the functionalities it requires, thereby reducing the risk of sensitive data being exposed.

Here’s an example of how to use permissions:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.example.myapp">

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_CONTACTS" />

<application
...
</application>
</manifest>

In the above example, we request permission to access the internet and read contacts. The user must grant these permissions before our application can access these functionalities.

In conclusion, adhering to Android App development best practices is crucial for building high-quality, efficient, and user-friendly applications. From choosing the right architecture pattern to writing clean and maintainable code, conducting thorough testing, and optimizing performance, these best practices can help you create successful Android apps that meet the needs and expectations of your users. By incorporating these best practices into your app development process, you can ensure that your apps are reliable, secure, and provide an excellent user experience. So, make sure to follow these best practices in your Android app development projects and continue to stay updated with the latest developments and guidelines from the Android community to create apps that stand out in the competitive app market.