The development and testing phase of the new Android version allows you to develop an updated application and help you to migrate your app easily to the new Android 13 version. Android 13 is the latest version which has advanced features and functions making it compatible with the latest Android version.
The only aim of releasing a new version of Android is to make Android more relevant, user-friendly, secure, and performant. You can develop an app that is applicable to a new version or migrate your app APK to a new Android version by making some changes to your app.
A typical migration has two important phases which are given below.
Ensuring application compatibility (by the end of the final Android 13 release)
Targeting the updated platform APIs and features( immediately after the final new Android version release).
Ensuring application compatibility with the new Android 13
First and foremost, you need to check the features and functionality of your existing application against the new version of Android to ensure compatibility with the application. The change in the platform can affect the way your application behaves. This is why it is recommended to make adjustments accordingly and test your app thoroughly beforehand.
You can adjust your application and release an update without changing the targetSDKVersion and make your application compatible with Android 13. Likewise, you don’t have to use updated APIs or change the compileSDKVersion of the application.
Prior to testing make sure that you get familiar with the behavior changes for every application. Even if you do not change its targetSDKVersion, these changes still could affect your application.
Get Android 13 - Flash a system image of Android 13 to the device you want.
Review behavior- Review the changes to identify places where your application might be affected.
Test- Run tests after installing your program on a real device or emulator. Work through all app flows while concentrating on changes in system behavior.
Update- Make only the necessary code modifications to accommodate alterations in behavior or address problems. There is no need to target Android 13; instead, recompile with the same API level that your app was designed to target.
Perform compatibility testing
Most of the part of app testing for Android 13 is similar to that of ordinary application testing. In order to test your application, install the app on Android 13 and test the functionality and flow while looking for issues. As you test the functionality, observe the behavior changes which can affect the functions of your application.
You should also make sure to test and review for uses of restricted non-SDK interfaces. Replace all the restricted interfaces that your application uses with a public NDK or SDK equivalent. Identify logcat warnings that the issues and use detectNonSDKApiUsage(), a StrictMode method to identify them programmatically.
Lastly, make sure that you test SDKs and libraries in your application to ensure the proper application run on Android 13. Follow the best practices to ensure the proper functioning of UI/UX, data handling, permission, performance, and privacy.
Targeting the updated platform APIs and features
Now, once you have updated your application according to Android 13 functionalities, the next step is to update its targetSDKVersion and take advantage of the new capabilities and APIs of Android 13. Make sure that you have Google Play requirements in order to target the new platform.
As mentioned above, the behavior change might affect targeting Android 13 and this might create functional issues. In some cases, these changes might need significant new APK updates or development and therefore, we recommend you learn them as soon as possible. You can use the compatibility toggle that helps you test your app and enable changes accordingly.
Below are the steps that support Android 13.
Get SDK Android 13- To build with Android 13, install the most recent version of Android Studio preview. Make sure you have an emulator or an Android 13 smartphone. Your targetSdkVersion and other build parameters need to be updated.
Review apps’s behavior changes- Examine the alterations to behavior that concern Android 13-targeting apps. Plan how to support any places where your app might be impacted.
Check its new privacy changes- Make the necessary code and architectural changes to enable user privacy improvements in Android 13.
Update according to Android 13 features- Utilize the Android 13 APIs to provide your apps with new features and functionalities. upgrade to Android 13.
Test- Use an emulator or an Android 13 device to test. Consider places where a change in behavior could impact your app. Try out new API-based functionality. criticism of the platform and API. Any platform, API, or third-party SDK issues should be reported.
Update- Update your targetSdkVersion and other build parameters once the Android 13 APIs are final, make any needed adjustments, and test your app.
Get updated SDK, change targeting, and create new APIs
Use the latest Android Studio preview to update and test your app for the Android 13 version. Android Studio will help you download the latest SDK and other tools that are suitable for Android 13. Update your app’s compiledSDKVersion or targetSDKVersion, and compile your app again. See a complete SDK setup guide for help.
Test your app for Android 13
Once you completed all the above-given steps and migrated your app to the latest Android version completely, the next step is to test your application again thoroughly and again see the behavior changes. You might come across a few more behavior changes and therefore you must review them beforehand.
Again you have to test the behavior changes and test your application as mentioned above. You should also make sure to test and review for uses of restricted non-SDK interfaces. Replace all the restricted interfaces that your application uses with a public NDK or SDK equivalent. Identify logcat warnings that the issues and use detectNonSDKApiUsage(), a StrictMode method to identify them programmatically.
Lastly, make sure that you test SDKs and libraries in your application to ensure the proper application run on Android 13. Follow the best practices to ensure the proper functioning of UI/UX, data handling, permission, performance, and privacy.
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