Android Instant Apps and the web
Today’s Google I/O keynote introÂduced a new techÂnolÂoÂgy called Android Instant Apps. In a nutÂshell, Instant Apps disÂplays a small, focused porÂtion of an app when a user clicks on a relatÂed link — even if the app isn’t installed on their sysÂtem. The examÂple used in the keynote was the BuzÂzfeed Video app: when a user clicks on a URL to view a BuzÂzfeed video, and doesn’t have the app installed, the URL is interÂceptÂed by the Android sysÂtem and opened in a part of the app, delivÂered from the Google Play servers, rather than in a browser.
Instant Apps requires the app creÂator to build their app in a preÂscribed way, using deep linkÂing and setÂting up modÂuÂlar views, but it apparÂentÂly only takes about a day to modÂiÂfy an existÂing app to work in this way. There are still some unanÂswered quesÂtions about Instant Apps, not least in regards to whether their use is optional.
This cerÂtainÂly solves the biggest probÂlems with apps: havÂing peoÂple find them, and install them. And from the perÂspecÂtive of the user it probÂaÂbly makes no difÂferÂence if they fulÂfil their task through the mediÂum of a webÂsite, app or Instant App — proÂvidÂed the mediÂum is seamÂless to tranÂsiÂtion, fast to load, and focused on the task.
But for develÂopÂers, an Instant App doesn’t seem to offer much valÂue beyond a webÂsite: as it’s an Android-only serÂvice, the URL that launchÂes it can be shared across iOS and deskÂtop also, meanÂing there is still a dupliÂcaÂtion of effort to build that web presence.
So then what’s the incenÂtive of putting in the extra work for Instant Apps? PerÂhaps it exists only when the app can offer someÂthing that the web is unable to, such as access to sysÂtem-levÂel APIs (like payÂments); or perÂhaps when the web alterÂnaÂtive isn’t optimised.
OthÂerÂwise this seems like it’s a drop-in replaceÂment for the web; and, as Klint FinÂley said when disÂcussing the conÂcepÂtuÂalÂly-relatÂed uniÂverÂsal links on iOS:
If you want apps that work like the web, the web is still your best choice.