3 Bold Predictions About Android's Instant Apps

If you felt some sort of seismic shift on May 18, it was likely due to an announcement Google made at its annual I/O conference regarding Instant Apps, a new Android feature that promises to shake up the mobile app industry.

Soon, Android users will no longer need to fully download apps in order to use them. As you could probably guess, Instant Apps will launch instantly, allowing users to access small modular components — or previews — of full-fledged apps without actually going through the process of installing them and surrendering valuable disc space.

Instant Apps, Infinite Opinions

In a world where smartphones are like exclusive night clubs where only the best and most beautiful apps are allowed entry, Instant Apps promises to provide a nice visibility boost to brands struggling to make it past the bouncer. And, from the user's perspective, it also promises to add unprecedented levels of convenience and instant gratification.

However, not every sentiment about Instant Apps is positive. App developers and consumer brands also possess some legitimate concerns regarding how this new feature will fit into today's mobile environment. The verdict is still out regarding whether users will actually be excited about accessing a 'lite' version of an app.

Personally, as a long-time Android developer, I believe the net result of Instant Apps will be hugely positive. Here's why:

1. Consumers will install more apps.
   
   When it comes to boosting app downloads, trust (or a lack thereof) is a factor that can make or break a brand's success. Consumers want to know that an app has their best interests in mind, that it isn't collecting too much personal data, and that whatever information they do fork over will be kept safe. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 60 percent of Android users say they avoid apps that ask for too much personal information.
   
   Typically, the trust-building turning point occurs when a user opens an app for the first time and is confronted with a number of permission requests. However, because Instant Apps doesn't require any upfront personal data, brands that embrace this feature will easily sidestep this issue and provide immediate value to consumers.
   
   With one click, users who typically abstain from installing apps due to security concerns will be able to safely test-drive a new game or sample a service without surrendering a single detail about themselves. If they love what they see, they'll be much more willing to entrust this user-friendly brand and download the product.
   
   Ultimately, brands that offer Instant Apps will attract a wary demographic that usually avoids this type of transaction, thus leading to an increased amount of installations.

2. Development teams will become stronger.
   
   Although the modularity of Instant Apps creates value for users and new opportunities for brands, it also provides a number of new challenges for developers.
   
   Development teams begin every new project with the intention of creating clean code and a well-defined architecture. Nevertheless, things almost always go astray, intentional technical debt is introduced during hot fixes, tight deadlines compromise the code review process, and, in the end, all these issues pile up and culminate in poor architecture and design.
   
   For developers, modularity makes the dependency graph more important than ever.When a user engages with a module, that functionality will have to be downloaded. And if the dependency graph is tangled because of poor design, the Instant App likely won't feel very instant, as several dependencies will have to be downloaded in order for it to function.
   
   All told, Instant Apps will challenge developers to create new, media-rich applications that satisfy modern consumers' need for instant gratification and immediacy. They will require a whole new level of collaboration among development teams, as application architecture will become a top priority for everyone — from the programmer to the product manager — and yes, even the marketing department.
   
   In the engineering community, we never really look at modularity from the user's perspective, but now, we will be forced to — and this is a good thing. I believe that working within the Instant Apps environment will only make development teams stronger.

3. Brands will form more alliances.
   
   On the native level, alliances between brands are difficult to form because software architectures often vary drastically. Coordinating multiple development teams who are all using different design philosophies is a tall task.
   
   Instant Apps presents a streamlined approach for moving data from one system to another without requiring a deep understanding of the system. This is a type of service-oriented architecture all brands can adopt and work with, which will drastically reduce the cost and effort required to jointly develop applications.
   
   Successful partnerships between apps are rare, but for a real-life example, consider Spotify's alliance with Uber. These two brands worked together to incorporate Spotify's music into Uber's app, allowing riders to select a soundtrack upon entering the car. Both brands reap clear advantages over their competition thanks to this partnership — and Instant Apps will only make these types of alliances easier to form in the future.

We live in a real-time, impulse-driven digital world where disc space is limited, privacy is paramount, and downloads break our momentum. Instant Apps fall perfectly into this environment, and there's plenty of reasons for users, brands, and developers alike to be excited about the possibilities on the horizon.

Google has been selective about allowing developers into its early adoption program, so it may be a while before we see widespread proliferation among Instant Apps. But with clear advantages for brands, consumers, and developers, it's only a matter of time before they're ubiquitous.

It's funny how an announcement about a small application can be very big news indeed.