New in Google Play Services Update 8.3
Google has recently released an update 8.3 for Google Play Services which contains major updates for both users and developers of Android. And this article provides an overview of the same. For development related details you can always check Android Developers.
One big part of this release is focused on User Identity. Google has made changes to the Sign In with Google API to make implementation easier for developers and provide a smooth experienced for the users. They have dropped the requirement for device account permissions from Google Sign-In. This gives a boost to developers when they start developing for Marshmallow. Google has eradicated the cumbersome process for users during sign-in which required selecting account, providing permissions to access profile information, and possibly needing to create a Google+ account and replaced it with one tap basic profile access. You can pop the hood of this with documentation here.
The Smart Lock APIs received some significant updates to make signing in easier across multiple devices, let it be through Google Sign-In or password-based authentication. Google has added a new API method that shows user with a dialog which allows him to select a previously used email address to pre-fill in Sign-In or Sign-Up forms easily which does not require any device permissions, whereas requires a runtime permission in case of Marshmallow where developer has previously populated from accounts on the device. This hint information can be used to populate entire Sign-Up form with name, email address, and profile picture with one tap. It even intelligently directs the user into a Sign-Up or Sign-In flow based on his email address.
Google Play Services now also provides Fused Location Provider (FLP) which abstracts the underlying location sensors such as WiFi, GPS, and the network triangulation signal into a single straightforward API. Google has also included some low level updates usable for developers such as AppInvite.AppInviteApi.getInvitation() method under App Invites, a new signal for when player is probable to churn so that developers can provide users with custom tailored promotions, and the new DataAPI for wearables providing useful sync data.
To sum it up, Google has incorporated some powerful new updates for both developers and users which will make development task easier for developers so that they can focus more on providing users with quality applications and for users to have a nice experience while using the applications. Need any details, suggestions, or assistance? Just drop a comment below.
