The advanced gadgets have defined new dimensions to the flourishing technology. Wearables are compact yet powerful devices that users can w...
The advanced gadgets have defined new dimensions to the flourishing technology. Wearables are compact yet powerful devices that users can wear on their body and access information and useful data as and when desired. It offers incredible functionalities that can be used to accomplish all simple to complex tasks with breeze. Wearable Tech Gadgets like Apple Watch, Android Wear, Moto 360, Google Glass etc. required quality app building mechanism. In this blog post, we are providing detailed Guide and Tutorial on How to Create an Android Apps for Wearables Tech Gadget.
If you are an amateur developer or expert professional, who wants to create an Android app for Wearables, you must need to have its thorough knowledge. This post aims at providing you an insight about Android Apps for Wearables.
Let's have a look at different phases that are required for creating an Android application for Wearables.
How To Create A Wearable App Alongside A Mobile App?
Since, these apps run directly on the wearable gadgets, they offer access to hardware services, sensors, etc., straight from the wearable.
Google play store doesn't support Wearable Apps and thus, if are looking for a way to publish the app on play store, you are required to release its companion app for a Smart-device; such as Tablets and Smartphones.
Hence, it is worth knowing how to create both of them simultaneously under a single project.
As a first step in development, you need to build an app project, which must contain the critical modules like wearable and handheld app modules.
Go to the “New Project” under File. Upon doing so, you will be provided with the project wizard instructions, following which; you need to input certain sets of information:
a.) The name of your app and the package will go into “Configure your Project”.
b.) Then, you need to open the Form Factors Window and in there -
d.) Now, add another blank activity for Wear, by choosing an option from Add an Activity Window.
The above process has to be followed by installing the Wearable App. And while you are urgently involved in creating the project and installing the app, do not forget to include all the relevant libraries.
Customize The Layouts
Now, creating a layout for a wearable is not very different from creating the same for a Smartphone, the only difference being, there has to be a greater degree of customization on your part. The UI differs in both the cases. It is recommended to create layouts by using Wearable UI Library.
You will get an unofficial UI library by default while creating wearable app. For adding the library to your file “build.gradle”, one can implement the following lines of code.
dependencies
{
compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
compile 'com.google.android.support:wearable:+'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-wearable:+'
}
This library will include several imperative classes including CardFragment, GridViewPager, BoxInsertLayout and many more, that allow one to create desired User Interface.
Enhance Voice Capabilities
Voice actions play a great role for Wearables, they facilitate hands-free and instant actions. There are two types of voice cations, namely, System-provided and App-provided.
Let's see how App provided voice actions can be added in a wearable app.
You can simply start with a voice action called as “Start MyActivityName”. Just register to a “Start action” and define an appropriate label attribute for the same. For instance you can consider the part of program mentioned below -
<application>
<activity android:name="StartRunActivity" android:label="MyRunningApp">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
</application>
This program will generate “StartRunActivity” as soon as the integrated filter recognizes “Start MyRunningApp” voice action.
How To Package A Wearable App?
Since, users can't download and install a wearable app directly to their wearable device, it is essential to release the app packaged inside a mobile app. If it's packaged perfectly, while downloading a mobile app, user will automatically get wearable app on the paired wearable device.
Debugging via Bluetooth
Route the debugged output to the connected mobile device, and follow some simple steps to debug the app via Bluetooth.
a.) Firstly, you need to setup the devices and for this, you are required to enable USB debugging on both your mobile device and wearable.
b.) Now, you need to set a debugging session. You can set this by making appropriate changes under “Settings” and by enabling “Debugging over Bluetooth”.
c.) Then, simply debug the app, while running the “adb devices”, the wearable should display “localhost:4444” and no you can run adb commands by using the following format:
You can create an innovative and resourceful Android Wear App, by simply following the above mentioned steps, and if you’re interested in developing of your own wearable app, then you can refer to any reputed online Top Android App Developers.
If you are an amateur developer or expert professional, who wants to create an Android app for Wearables, you must need to have its thorough knowledge. This post aims at providing you an insight about Android Apps for Wearables.
Let's have a look at different phases that are required for creating an Android application for Wearables.
How To Create A Wearable App Alongside A Mobile App?
Since, these apps run directly on the wearable gadgets, they offer access to hardware services, sensors, etc., straight from the wearable.
Google play store doesn't support Wearable Apps and thus, if are looking for a way to publish the app on play store, you are required to release its companion app for a Smart-device; such as Tablets and Smartphones.
Hence, it is worth knowing how to create both of them simultaneously under a single project.
As a first step in development, you need to build an app project, which must contain the critical modules like wearable and handheld app modules.
Go to the “New Project” under File. Upon doing so, you will be provided with the project wizard instructions, following which; you need to input certain sets of information:
a.) The name of your app and the package will go into “Configure your Project”.
b.) Then, you need to open the Form Factors Window and in there -
- You will find Minimum SDK. Then, go to API 8: Android 2.2 (Froyo) that you will find under Phone and Tablet.
- Similarly with Minimum SDK, Then, go to API 20: Android 4.4 (KitKat Wear) that you will find under Wear.
d.) Now, add another blank activity for Wear, by choosing an option from Add an Activity Window.
The above process has to be followed by installing the Wearable App. And while you are urgently involved in creating the project and installing the app, do not forget to include all the relevant libraries.
Customize The Layouts
Now, creating a layout for a wearable is not very different from creating the same for a Smartphone, the only difference being, there has to be a greater degree of customization on your part. The UI differs in both the cases. It is recommended to create layouts by using Wearable UI Library.
You will get an unofficial UI library by default while creating wearable app. For adding the library to your file “build.gradle”, one can implement the following lines of code.
dependencies
{
compile fileTree(dir: 'libs', include: ['*.jar'])
compile 'com.google.android.support:wearable:+'
compile 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-wearable:+'
}
This library will include several imperative classes including CardFragment, GridViewPager, BoxInsertLayout and many more, that allow one to create desired User Interface.
Enhance Voice Capabilities
Voice actions play a great role for Wearables, they facilitate hands-free and instant actions. There are two types of voice cations, namely, System-provided and App-provided.
Let's see how App provided voice actions can be added in a wearable app.
You can simply start with a voice action called as “Start MyActivityName”. Just register to a “Start action” and define an appropriate label attribute for the same. For instance you can consider the part of program mentioned below -
<application>
<activity android:name="StartRunActivity" android:label="MyRunningApp">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />
<category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />
</intent-filter>
</activity>
</application>
This program will generate “StartRunActivity” as soon as the integrated filter recognizes “Start MyRunningApp” voice action.
How To Package A Wearable App?
Since, users can't download and install a wearable app directly to their wearable device, it is essential to release the app packaged inside a mobile app. If it's packaged perfectly, while downloading a mobile app, user will automatically get wearable app on the paired wearable device.
Debugging via Bluetooth
Route the debugged output to the connected mobile device, and follow some simple steps to debug the app via Bluetooth.
a.) Firstly, you need to setup the devices and for this, you are required to enable USB debugging on both your mobile device and wearable.
b.) Now, you need to set a debugging session. You can set this by making appropriate changes under “Settings” and by enabling “Debugging over Bluetooth”.
c.) Then, simply debug the app, while running the “adb devices”, the wearable should display “localhost:4444” and no you can run adb commands by using the following format:
- adb -s localhost:4444 <command>
You can create an innovative and resourceful Android Wear App, by simply following the above mentioned steps, and if you’re interested in developing of your own wearable app, then you can refer to any reputed online Top Android App Developers.
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