Instant Apps Eulogy

Last year we asked ourselves a question. One that most Android engineers avoid whispering aloud: Are Instant Apps still a thing? It turns out that Google officially said no! Instant Apps are fascinating because they offer possibilities outside of what Google originally engineered them for.

Benoît (Cash App) and Cyril (amo), both of us shipped an Instant App this year for different use cases and different implementations. The restrictions required to publish an Instant App encourage dynamic, lean and performant architectures. Savoir-faire which stays relevant even outside the context of Instant Apps.

After hovering briefly over the state of Instant Apps, we’ll share how we built and shipped our projects. From development quirks to publishing oddities, we’ll highlight what worked, what didn’t, and why Instant Apps might have deserved a second look.

Transcript

1. Benoit Quenaudon & Cyril Mottier Reborn Instant Apps
2. ~2015 Web Native Push Noti fi O ff Device HW access Distribution* N/A N/A N/A 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 😬
3. 2015~ PWA Native Push Noti fi O ff Device HW access Distribution* 🐌 🐌 🐌 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 😬
4. 2016 PWA Native Push Noti fi O ff Device HW access Distribution* 🛫 🛫 🛫 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 😬
6. AIA
7. “Try” before your buy On-demand < 15MB Not an standalone App Web fallback Instant app what?
8. 2016~ PWA Android AIA Push Noti fi O ff Device HW access Distribution* 🛫 🛫 🛫 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 🐌
9. 2020~ PWA Android AIA Push Noti fi O ff Device HW access Distribution* 🛫 🛫 🛫 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 🐌 iOS App clips 🚀 🚀 🚀 👀
10. 2025 PWA Android AIA Push Noti fi O ff Device HW access Distribution* 🛫 🛫 🛫 🚀 🚀 🚀 🚀 🐌 iOS App clips 🚀 🚀 🚀 🛫
13. Reborn Instant Apps Eulogy DENIED
14. is a default behavior… Try Now!
15. is a default behavior… Try Now!
16. is a default behavior… Try Now! …that we absolutely didn’t want!
18. Sender Receiver
19. Sender Receiver
20. Smooth onboarding experience Fleeting location sharing Personalized interaction model amo use-case
22. monorepo ├── android │ ├── apps │ ├── build-logic │ ├── components │ │ ├── focus │ │ │ ├── api │ │ │ ├── bindings │ │ │ └── lib │ │ ├── super-sends-hearts │ │ │ ├── api │ │ │ ├── bindings │ │ │ └── lib │ │ └── … │ ├── foundation │ ├── platform │ └── … └── …
23. dependencies { implementation( projects.components.settings.bindings ) } android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts
24. @Provides fun provideSettingsConfiguration(): SettingsConfiguration = SettingsConfiguration( socialMedia = listOf( SocialMedia.Instagram( “bumpbyamo", R.string.socialMedia_instagram), ), ), ) dependencies { implementation( projects.components.settings.bindings ) } android/apps/location/src/main/LocationAppModule.kt android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts and optionally…
25. dependencies { implementation( projects.components.avatar.bindings ) } android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts
26. dependencies { implementation( projects.components.avatar.bindings ) } android/apps/location-instant/build.gradle.kts dependencies { implementation( projects.components.avatar.bindings ) } android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts
27. dependencies { happyImplementation( projects.components.superSecretNewFeature.bindings ) } android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts dependencies { implementation( projects.components.avatar.bindings ) } android/apps/location-instant/build.gradle.kts dependencies { implementation( projects.components.avatar.bindings ) } android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts
28. dependencies { happyImplementation( projects.components.superSecretNewFeature.bindings ) } android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts dependencies { implementation( projects.components.avatar.bindings ) } android/apps/location-instant/build.gradle.kts dependencies { implementation( projects.components.avatar.bindings ) } android/apps/location/build.gradle.kts
30. Instant app code aggregates a few components & provides/binds some stubs
32. Android Kotlin • Compose iOS Swi ft • UIKit/Swi ft UI Core Rust • SQLite RxSwi ft streams Flows & suspend
33. Android Kotlin • Compose iOS Swi ft • UIKit/Swi ft UI Core Rust • SQLite RxSwi ft streams Flows & suspend
34. Android Kotlin • Compose iOS Swi ft • UIKit/Swi ft UI Core Rust • SQLite RxSwi ft streams Flows & suspend iOS app
35. Android Kotlin • Compose iOS Swi ft Core Rust • SQLite RxSwi ft Flows & suspend
36. Android Kotlin • Compose iOS Swi ft Core Rust • SQLite RxSwi ft Flows & suspend Android app
37. Acts as a local backend from a UI PoV Deals with persistance and networking Gets and sends proto models via gRPC Exposes APIs to Kotlin/Swi ft through FFI Rust library function
38. Acts as a local backend from a UI PoV Deals with persistance and networking Gets and sends proto models via gRPC Exposes APIs to Kotlin/Swi ft through FFI Rust library function
39. Acts as a local backend from a UI PoV Deals with persistance and networking Gets and sends proto models via gRPC Exposes APIs to Kotlin/Swi ft through FFI Rust library function
40. Acts as a local backend from a UI PoV Deals with persistance and networking Gets and sends proto models via gRPC Exposes APIs to Kotlin/Swi ft through FFI Rust library function
41. Acts as a local backend from a UI PoV Deals with persistance and networking Gets and sends proto models via gRPC Exposes APIs to Kotlin/Swi ft through FFI Rust library function
44. Acts as a local backend from a UI PoV Deals with persistance and networking Gets and sends proto models via gRPC Exposes APIs to Kotlin/Swi ft through FFI Rust library function
45. Rust library function in an instant app Acts as a local backend from a UI PoV Deals with persistance and networking Gets and sends proto models via gRPC Exposes APIs to Kotlin/Swi ft through FFI
48. plugins { id("co.amo.application.android.instant") } amoApplication { applicationDomain = "bumpmaps.com" applicationDeeplinkScheme = "location" } android { namespace = "co.amo.location.instant" defaultConfig { applicationId = "co.amo.android.location" base.archivesName = "location-instant-$versionName" } } dependencies { // ... }
49. plugins { id("co.amo.application.android.instant") } amoApplication { applicationDomain = "bumpmaps.com" applicationDeeplinkScheme = "location" } android { namespace = "co.amo.location.instant" defaultConfig { applicationId = "co.amo.android.location" base.archivesName = "location-instant-$versionName" } } dependencies { // ... }
50. plugins { id("co.amo.application.android.instant") } amoApplication { applicationDomain = "bumpmaps.com" applicationDeeplinkScheme = "location" } android { namespace = "co.amo.location.instant" defaultConfig { applicationId = "co.amo.android.location" base.archivesName = "location-instant-$versionName" } } dependencies { // ... }
51. plugins { id("co.amo.application.android.instant") } amoApplication { applicationDomain = "bumpmaps.com" applicationDeeplinkScheme = "location" } android { namespace = "co.amo.location.instant" defaultConfig { applicationId = "co.amo.android.location" base.archivesName = "location-instant-$versionName" } } dependencies { // ... }
52. class AndroidInstantApplicationConventionPlugin : Plugin<Project> { override fun apply(target: Project) { target.configureApplication(isInstantApp = true) } }
53. class AndroidInstantApplicationConventionPlugin : Plugin<Project> { override fun apply(target: Project) { target.configureApplication(isInstantApp = true) } }
54. class AndroidInstantApplicationConventionPlugin : Plugin<Project> { override fun apply(target: Project) { target.configureApplication(isInstantApp = true) } }
55. internal fun Project.configureApplicationVersion( applicationExtension: ApplicationExtension, isInstantApp: Boolean = false, ) { val applicationType = if (isInstantApp) 0 else 1 applicationExtension.apply { defaultConfig { with(gitVersion.semVer) { // 2_100_000_000 (Play Store maximum version code) // M_MMM_mmm_PPA } } } } versionCode = major * 1_000_000 + minor * 1000 + patch * 10 + applicationType versionName = "$major.$minor.$patch" if (isInstantApp) { versionNameSuffix = "-instant" }
56. internal fun Project.configureApplicationVersion( applicationExtension: ApplicationExtension, isInstantApp: Boolean = false, ) { val applicationType = if (isInstantApp) 0 else 1 applicationExtension.apply { defaultConfig { with(gitVersion.semVer) { // 2_100_000_000 (Play Store maximum version code) // M_MMM_mmm_PPA } } } } versionCode = major * 1_000_000 + minor * 1000 + patch * 10 + applicationType versionName = "$major.$minor.$patch" if (isInstantApp) { versionNameSuffix = "-instant" }
57. versionCode = major * 1_000_000 + minor * 1000 + patch * 10 + applicationType versionName = "$major.$minor.$patch" if (isInstantApp) { versionNameSuffix = "-instant" } Main app Instant app Version code Version name 2000241 2.0.24 2000240 2.0.24-instant
60. Cash App use-case Location based Niche
61. No web Skip onboarding Instant App why?
62. Instant App how? Dynamic Features
63. Features on-demand In pair with AAB Dynamic Features what?
64. Dynamic Features - how? val manager = SplitInstallManagerFactory.create(context) val request = SplitInstallRequest.newBuilder() .addModule(“my_feature”) .build() manager.startInstall(request) manager.registerListener {}
65. Dynamic Features why not? Internet Google Play Services Play Store Testing Bugs…
67. cash-os local main
68. Instant app cash-os local main
69. Main app cash-os local main
70. Instant app total download size
71. ∞ Local environments Instant app total download size
72. Instant app total download size ∞ Local environments 15MB Play Store tracks
73. Instant app total download size ∞ Local environments 15MB Play Store tracks It’s actually more complex, but who cares now? (›°□°)› ︵ ᵲᴸᵲ
74. The smaller, the better …actually not speci fi c to AIA
75. Slim down your binary Dependencies reduction Code mini fi Vector graphics Resources de-duplication Resource shrinking Downloadable fonts Assets manual rendering Remote fetching Images optimisation WebP format Granular dependencies ABI removal Sparse translation elimination Avoid (Rust) native Dynamic features Treeshaking Languages removal
76. APK Analyzer is your best friend
77. PK Analyzer is your best friend
82. thinking & balance Optimizing app size in general is an art of
86. What didn’t work Half-baked user experience Irritating developer experience Lack of con fi guration
87. iOS App Clips?
90. That’s all folks!