The annual Google I/O 2023 conference was an opportunity for the multinational to update dozens of Android applications so that they are more suitable for tablets and folding smartphones. As much for his own services as for those of others.
The release of the Pixel Fold and the Pixel Tablet seems to have convinced Google to improve the user experience in these formats. It was during its Google I/O conference on May 10, 2023 that the multinational announced on its blog the update of several dozen popular applications on Android.
From Google Calendar to Candy Crush Soda Saga, these now offer an interface that takes better advantage of the large screens of tablets and folding smartphones.
More than 50 Google services updated
If Google took the time to adapt the interface of Android 13 to the width of the internal screen of its Pixel Fold for its release, the multinational did not stop there. As presented on stage then in this other blog post, the firm has also reworked its own applications. Google News, Meet, Photos, Maps, Gmail… more than 50 Google ecosystem services have been updated for large formats.
Overall, these applications take up more space, as is the case with Google Calendar. The application now displays its interface in two columns on a large screen: on the right, the classic display of its events on smartphone (by day, week or month, in list or in mosaic), supplemented by a small calendar of the month in course on the left.
The same logic has been applied to the Google Play Store, which also benefits from a larger homepage. Similarly, the YouTube Music app now splits its interface in two, with the current track’s controls and cover art on one side, and the current lyrics or playlist on the other.
In addition to this new approach, Google also indicates that it has focused on the fluidity of the animations of these multi-column displays, in particular between the opening and closing of a folding smartphone.
Adaptation varies by developer
Better, Google also took the opportunity to mow the lawn of its neighbors. The multinational has also worked with several other companies to improve the Android application of their popular services on the big screen. His official blog specifically highlights Spotify, Minecraft, Disney+, Calm, Candy Crush Soda Saga and Peloton.
The adaptation varies according to these applications. Where Minecraft seems to have just changed its code to display the same interface on a larger scale, Calm takes up the extra space with a new side menu, Candy Crush better adapts its orientation to that of the device, and Peloton adds a new screen mode. bent at 90 degrees.
Google says some of these updates aren’t available yet, but should roll out in the coming weeks. Likewise, the company announces that “This is just the beginningand others are expected to follow in 2023.
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