Android News

12.05.2021
Android Studio 4.2 is now
available to download in
the stable release channel
The focus areas for this release is an upgraded IntelliJ
platform and a handful of new features centered around
i m p r o v i n g y o u r p r o d u c t i v i t y a s a n A n d r o i d a p p d e v e l o p e r. IntelliJ Platform Update - Android Studio 4.2 includes all the major
features and updates found in IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2020.2,
Sometimes upgrading your app project to the latest which includes an updated GitHub UI for pull requests, and new
v e r s i o n c a n b e c o m p l i c a t e d . To a d d r e s s t h i s , t h e y h a v e a centralized problems window, and more. Learn more.
new app project upgrade assistant in Android Studio 4.2 Safe Args Support - Using Safe Args is the recommended way to ensure
data encapsulation if you want to pass data between two destinations in
that makes it easier to migrate your project and to take
your app when you are using the Jetpack Navigation component. With
advantage of the latest Android Gradle Plugin APIs. Android Studio 4.2, you now have code autocompletion for Directions
A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e y h a v e a d d e d a w h o l e r a n g e o f e n h a n c e m e n t s Args, and code navigation from source to XML. Learn more.
t o t h e e x i s t i n g f e a t u r e s l i k e t h e D a t a b a s e I n s p e c t o r, S y s t e m New Project Wizard and Module Wizard Updates - This release
Tr a c e , S a f e A r g s s u p p o r t , A p p l y C h a n g e s , t h e n e w p r o j e c t includes a visual refresh to the new project wizard to make it easier to
discover Android device types, plus we added ViewBinding to each of the
wizard and more . If you use these features and you are
templates as well. Furthermore, we also made a visual update to the new
looking for the next stable version of Android Studio, you module wizards to make it easier to understand the variety of module
should download Android Studio 4.2 today! types you can add to your app.

Check out the list of new features in Android Studio 4.2

b e l o w , o r g a n i z e d b y k e y d e v e l o p e r fl o w s .
DEVELOPMENT

IntelliJ Platform Update - Android Studio 4.2 includes all the major
features and updates found in IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2020.2,
which includes an updated GitHub UI for pull requests, and new
centralized problems window, and more. Learn more.

Safe Args Support - Using Safe Args is the recommended way to ensure
data encapsulation if you want to pass data between two destinations in
your app when you are using the Jetpack Navigation component. With
Android Studio 4.2, you now have code autocompletion for Directions
Args, and code navigation from source to XML. Learn more.

New Project Wizard and Module Wizard Updates - This release

includes a visual refresh to the new project wizard to make it easier to
discover Android device types, plus we added ViewBinding to each of the
templates as well. Furthermore, we also made a visual update to the new New Project
module wizards to make it easier to understand the variety of module templates
types you can add to your app.

DEBUG

Database Inspector Improvements - Managing and monitoring your in

app database is easier to do with the Database Inspector. In this release
we made a couple new enhancements. We added a new offline mode, so
that you can still keep inspecting your app's databases after a process DEBUG
disconnects, making it easier to diagnose your app after a crash. And we
added a handy query history option as well.

Retrace Command Line Tool - As part of your app compilation process,

R8 obfuscates Kotlin and Java programming language code. This can
make stack traces impossible to decipher since types and method names
are obfuscated and shortened to reduce the memory footprint of your
app. Learn more.

BUILD

AGP Upgrade Assistant 

Apply Changes Enhancements
Android Gradle Plugin 4.2 

PROFILE
System Trace Improvements
TESTING

Multiple Device Deployment - Sometimes when you are developing and testing your app it is helpful to deploy your app on
multiple devices to see the results. We brought back this feature from very early versions of Android Studio and integrated it
directly into the device selection menu in Android Studio 4.2. To note, if you deploy tests to multiple devices you may be
prompted to enable this behavior.
Samsung Galaxy A72 in Test

The new generation has not only been upgraded visually, but also technically.
Vorteile:
The brighter 90 Hz display ensures that content is displayed well in almost any situation. You
can't quite come close to a Galaxy S21 in terms of equipment, but the differences are getting
smaller and smaller. This is also due to the fact that the Galaxy A72 is now certified to IP67, for
example, and is therefore waterproof.
•90-Hertz-Display
•Leistung
The upgrade to stereo speakers also suits the smartphone very well. The positive impression is
generally reflected in the good performance and battery life. I was worried that the 90 Hz •Kamera
display and the Snapdragon 720G would not be enough to achieve a smooth display, but it just
fits. •Akkulaufzeit
Although there is no 5G version of the Galaxy A72, which is a shame, the camera has a •IP67-Zertifizierung
telephoto lens compared to the Galaxy A52, which noticeably improves the zoom. This is even
optically stabilized, which benefits the image quality. Interestingly, in contrast to the Galaxy
•3,5-mm-Klinkenanschluss
S21, Samsung does not do without a microSD slot in the Galaxy A72, a power supply is still •Dual-SIM-Funktion
included and you can also connect normal headphones with a jack plug.
•microSD-Slot
With the new generation, you can no longer insert two nano SIM cards and a microSD
card at the same time. But that was also the main disadvantage.

If you're looking for a large, fast and durable Android smartphone, you've come to the right Nachteile:
place. The price of 449 euros alone seems a bit too high at the market launch, but it is already
falling.
•Gewicht und Größe
•Dual-SIM- oder
Speichererweiterung
•Kein 5G-Modem
•Fingerabdrucksensor im
•Display
WhatsApp is not allowed to forward data to Facebook
The new terms of use of WhatsApp should actually apply in
Germany from this Saturday.
Nothing will come of that, because the Hamburg data protection
officer (HmbBfDI) Johannes Caspar has issued an ordinance that
prohibits the transfer of data to Facebook. WhatsApp is not
allowed to forward data to Facebook.

Even if Facebook repeatedly declares that nothing will actually

change in Germany if you agree to WhatsApp's new terms of use,
Hamburg's data protection officer sees it differently.
The wording is not clear enough that an order has now been
issued. With immediate effect, WhatsApp is no longer allowed to
forward data of its users in Germany to Facebook.

The reason for the quick action is the deadline set by

WhatsApp users in Germany. Anyone who does not agree to
the new terms of use will actually no longer be able to use
WhatsApp from May 15. You get notifications and calls, but you
can no longer send messages.

Germany is not the only country that Facebook is taking

precedence over Not only in Germany, Facebook has problems
because of the new terms of use in WhatsApp. Brazil has also given
the company to extend the deadline, because the wording there is
not sure what it exactly means. It is currently unclear how
Facebook will react to this.
Facebook Now Wants You To Read Articles
Before Sharing Them

Facebook is testing a new way to combat the spread of misinformation on

its platform. Starting this week, the social media giant will show a pop-up
that prompts users to read the articles before sharing them with others.
This will enable “informed sharing of news articles,” the company said.

The pop-up is shown when someone tries to share an article that they
haven’t opened on Facebook yet, encouraging them to read it first.
State AG Wants Zuckerberg To Forget About Instagram's Kids
Version

Facebook has recently shared its plans for releasing an exclusive version of
Instagram for kids, but it seems that 40 state AG believe this is not a good
idea. They’ve signed an open letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to ask
him to ditch his plans for launching Instagram’s kids’ version.
Children under 13 can not use Instagram legally, and Instagram laws prohibit
this group from using this popular social network. However, to make Instagram
available to this grlaunchoup of people and to reduce parent’s concerns,
Facebook has decided to  a special version of Instagram for kids. This version
is optimized for children under 13, and aims to provide them “with the safest
possible experience.”
According to the coalition of attorneys general, Facebook has flaws in
supporting children. NAAG believes the new version of Instagram is
“detrimental to children for myriad reasons and that Facebook has historically
failed to protect the welfare of children on its platform.”

“Not only is social media an influential tool that can be detrimental to children
who are not of appropriate age, but this plan could place children directly in
the paths of predators,” the leader of the coalition and New York Attorney
General Letitia James said in a press release. “There are too many concerns to
let Facebook move forward with this ill-conceived idea, which is why we are
calling on the company to abandon its launch of Instagram kids. We must
continue to ensure the health and wellness of our next generation and
beyond.”
Cyberbullying and exploiting children by being anonymous are the main
concerns of state attorneys general. Moreover, they mentioned Facebook’s bad
reputation for protecting children’s privacy. Facebook has recently started to
test some privacy-driven features like Safety Check and Encrypted
Messaging. However, these might not be enough to convince state attorney
general.
Thank you!