Foldable phones are in trend due to responsive design, extended UI/ UX, multi-screen, and multi-functional facilities. People are ready to spend their money on the flexible screen that makes these phones foldable phones. But the main thing that comes to the mind is the creation of android apps for foldable phones.
Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, Xiaomi, and many famous companies are investing in foldable phones. Many foldable phones have been launched and in the year 2019, Samsung launched the Android Foldable Smartphone that grabbed everyone’s attention.
If we think about the foldable phone screen size then it is twice the size of the smartphones that we use regularly. This helps developers to create android applications for multi-window screen smartphones.
Today, every android mobile manufacturer company is in the race of developing android foldable phones. But there is no sign of Foldable iOS devices till now and we are not seeing it in near future as well. But due to the size of the foldable phones and its flexibility, the main question that arises is can android apps adjust foldable smartphone screens? 
At present, all the smartphone companies are having single screen mobile applications and it is difficult for the developers to develop android apps for foldable phones. According to Statista, the foldable phones will grow up to 50.1 Million by the year 2022. If you have an answer on how to develop android apps for foldable phones then comment down in the comment section and let everyone know. If no, then contact the best mobile app development company that promises to help you with the hustle of developing android apps for foldable phones. Read on to know more about it in detail.
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Benefits Of Folding And Unfolding The Foldable Phones
- Unfolding the foldable device provides a larger screen.
- A larger screen means a better user experience.
- The multi-windows feature helps to perform multiple tasks at the same time.
- Folding and unfolding changes the screen size, ratio, and density.
Impact Of Foldable Phones On Android App Development Process?
Everything comes with positive as well as negative. Nothing is perfect. The same is with foldable phones. It is easy to say that the developers can recreate UI/ UX for foldable but it is not at all easy. The recreation of android apps for foldable phones is difficult as it has many ratios and screens sizes and in simple terms, it is flexible. This makes the developers think about how they must redesign the android apps. These foldable phones are growing expectations of the users and we can also say that the expectations from the android developers too grew for developing android apps that fulfill the needs of foldable phones. Foldable phones have larger screens, so the demands from the developers have increased for bringing new features in the apps which are used on daily basis such as messaging apps, gaming apps, banking apps, video-streaming apps, and more. Like any other single-screen mobile apps, the new android apps for foldable phones must also give glitch-free, error-free, and better user experience. This is not an easy task as it will take a lot of effort to do so.
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How to Develop Android Apps for Foldable Phones?
Developing apps for foldable phones is different from the way android apps are developed for single-screen smartphones. Even the efforts, time, and money will be more to develop foldable phones as compared o regular android phone apps. You can choose the best mobile application development framework for developing apps.
- For native apps, you can go for React Native App Development Services.
- Go for Phonegap development services, for Hybrid apps.
- For cross-platform apps, go for Flutter App Development services.
Things To Consider While Developing Android Apps For Foldable Phones
1. App continuity
In foldable smartphone devices, one of the most important things is app continuity. In simple words, your application can transit from one foldable device screen to another screen automatically. It is very important for mobile app development companies to provide great user experience by developing great and effective android apps for foldable phones.
2. Make Your App Resizable
The mobile app developers should ensure that their mobile application is also working on multi-window mode. Mobile app Developers can do this by setting resizeableActivity=true. This feature provides the highest compatibility to mobile devices. Developers can test the app’s behavior with the foldable emulator. Developers should also know that if the mobile application sets resizeableActivity=false, it means that your mobile application will not support multi-window. The system might resize the mobile application but the compatibility of the app is only implemented when you apply the same configuration to all the major components in the application. 
When the mobile app developers set resizeableActivity=false to disable the multi-window mode but they want to support the app continuity then add the following meta-data to your element. android:name="android.supports_size_changes" android:value="true" /> If the developers set the resizable activity to true then the system will automatically assume that the app fully supports the multi-window and resizable. Developers have to develop full resizable android apps for foldable phones.
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3. New Screen Ratios
There are new Android versions are coming every year. The latest android versions are Android 10 and Android 9 which supports a wide range of screen ratios. If developers want that their application should also run on foldable phones then the new screen sizes will be required. Mobile app developers can use the minimum aspect ratio or maximum aspect ratio for the application. 
Developers should test their applications in different screen ratios. Making android apps for foldable phones is a challenging task for developers.
4. Multi-Window
One of the biggest benefits of the large screen for the users is they can run on multiple windows at one time. Foldable smartphones are improving the experience of the users by multitasking capability. The mobile app developers have to prepare a function where different applications can work on the screen works well. Developers can also integrate different types of features in android apps for foldable phones.
5. Multi-Resume
The new android version 9.0 only focuses on the app which is in the resumed state. Other visible activities of applications are paused. It might create problems for users if apps stop playing the content when they get paused. The android 10 version supports the multi-window mode. All the activities of the application remain in the resumed state. You have to also note that the activity of the application can be paused if there is a transparent activity or the activities of the application are not focusable. 
Multi-resume is available on some devices which are running Android 9.0. If you want to add on those devices, you can add the following metadata: android:name="android.allow_multiple_resumed_activities" android:value="true" />
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6. Camera In Multi-Window Mode
Developers should know that their application does not have to release the camera. But it also fine for your application to run the camera when it is not the most resumed application but keep in mind that it also has the ability to disconnect the case properly. Your app will also lose access when the topmost resumed app wanted to use the camera. Developers’ applications can able to reopen the camera when it totally gets the focus back. When your application receives a CameraDevice.StateCallback#onDisconnected() call back, then it will call the camera device that will throw the CameraAccessException.
7. Multi-Display
Android version 11 supports the multi-display system. In multiple displays, users can easily pass the application from an existing display to another. Developers must have to test the application display and screen ratio before starting the app on phone. Mobile app developers have to update the apps layouts and design according to the screen ratio.
8. Software Keyboard
Keyboards of mobile can be shown to the secondary screen if the display of mobile is configured to the support system decorations. The input method allows users to enter the text. Android development provides extensible input method frameworks that allow the applications to give users an alternative input method, for example, on-screen keyboards. 
9. Foldable Modes
These phones can easily be folded into two separate displays. Such devices provide a larger screen for the users. Users are able to do multi-tasking on the foldable phones. There are some foldable devices that can be placed in a half-folded configuration. The developers must know that folding and unfolding can change the screen size or ratio. Developers can add the new screen size according to the foldable mobile screens. One thing we have to know that making android apps for foldable phones will require highly experienced developers.
10. Testing
If developers want to make applications for foldable phones than they should test these following things:
- Multi-window mode
- New screen ratios for phones
- Resize app ratios
- Multi resume
There is a new option for developers called force desktop mode which allows the developers to turn on the system decoration support to secondary displays and also displays the mouse pointer on to the secondary display. When developers use the enable freeform windows, force desktop automatically simulates the desktop experience with a multi-window and also has the ability to resize the windows. ]
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Things Developers Should Keep in Mind Before Developing Android Apps For Foldables Phones
- The foldable application should be equipped with multiple screens, multi-resume, multi-window mode in any aspect ratio for resizing.
- Developers need to be able to navigate on foldable smartphones with multiple fingers, as this would enhance the user experience. They also need to focus on multitasking so that it is easy to switch between on-screen windows.
- The developers need to try to make the aspect ratio and screen states easily adjustable by the device to enrich the experience.
- Try to make a quality application that offers the best features and functions and allows users to enjoy everything they do on their foldable smartphones.
- Finally, the developer must test the application very accurately and rigorously!
Conclusion
The takeaway to develop compatible mobile android apps for foldable phones.
- Manufacturers of foldable smartphones still rely on third-party software to optimize it. The large screen raises productivity to a higher level.
- For now, these foldable phones are for early users only so think twice before buying it.
- There is not much development work to change the business logic of the application. However, much remains to be done to implement the user interface.
- To get the most out of foldable, the UI / UX should combine multiple streams depending on the screen size.
- Quality assurance while developing Android applications becomes more expensive due to additional ratios and features such as multi-windows.
To get android apps for foldable phones, hire Android app development company. Jploft is your one-stop solution for converting traditional applications into foldable applications. Give us a call (+91 6350220215) or send us an email ([email protected]) to learn how we can help. Don’t forget to give your feedback about the blog in the comment section below! https://youtu.be/U5hs2ePHo44
