Surface Duo Blog
Build great Android experiences, from AI to foldable and large-screens.
Latest posts
Bazel build
Hello Android developers, Today we are going to go through an interesting topic, we will learn what it is and how to use Bazel, a build and test tool similar to Make, Maven, and Gradle. Many great companies and OSS projects are already using Bazel to build their software. Would you like to try it out for your Android app? In this blog post you will learn how to do it. What is Bazel? The bazel.build site says: Bazel is an open-source build and test tool. It uses a human-readable, high-level build language. It supports projects in multiple languages and build outputs for multiple platforms. Ba...
Dual-screen case study: Total Commander – file manager
Hello Android developers! We’re excited to announce that one of the most famous dual-pane apps of all time has been enhanced for Surface Duo dual-screen devices. Total Commander file manager’s iconic dual-pane design has been one of its most recognizable features, starting from its Windows roots and continuing on Android. This dual-pane design is a perfect match for Surface Duo devices, where each file explorer pane can be shown on one of the two screens. Starting with the 3.30 version release made on February 8, 2022, Total Commander now supports dual-screen features. You can get the app...
Surface at Microsoft Build 2022
Hello developers! Another blog, another Android event! While Google I/O seems like it happened in the distant past, Microsoft Build 2022 is here to help developers expand their skillset by exploring new and emerging technologies. Microsoft Build features the best of what technology has to offer, and you can gain insights from developers and creators located around the world. We’re thrilled to see discussions centered on so many Android and cross-platform topics across Microsoft. Here are some highlights from this week! Skilling up with Android UI Test Android testing across different devic...
Flutter foldable support is now stable
Hello! Flutter 3 was announced last week, and we have good news to share with you. The foldable support that we contributed to Flutter is now released in the latest stable branch. Let us dive into what this means for you. We will first go over the new API that you can use and then review what else Flutter now does for you out of the box. What are Display Features? Display features are parts of the display that create a visual distortion and can create a logical separation in the screen space. Our focus is on the hinge of the Surface Duo, but that is not the only type of display feature that Flutter ...
Google I/O 2022 recap
Hello Android developers, Another Google I/O has flown by, and we were excited to see sessions on foldable user experience design as well as developer-focused talks for updating existing apps to be more responsive and using Jetpack Compose. Here are our favorite sessions and announcements from the past few days: Flutter 3 announced Flutter 3 was released during Google I/O 2022, and the final piece of foldable support is now added to the framework: dialogs that can avoid the hinge or fold. Flutter now has extensive foldable support, and the TwoPane widget from pub.dev provides a layout option that...
Accessibility in a dual-screen application
Hello Android developers! Accessibility is an important step in the design and development flow of any Android application. Ensuring that everyone can use it in any situation will make the experience better, and the app will benefit from having an extended and diverse audience. When you design your app with accessibility in mind, you ensure that people with disabilities understand your application better, benefit from increased user satisfaction and will receive feedback from a diverse user base. An important feature of large screens and foldable devices is the extra space, which helps improve ...
Develop with Windows Subsystem for Android
Hello Android developers! We recently had a query via social media about how Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) might be relevant for Microsoft Surface Duo developers. Today’s post explains how to install the Windows Subsystem for Android and some of the ways it can be useful for developers. WSA won’t replace other methods of testing, but it can be a useful addition to physical devices and the Surface Duo emulator. You can read more about Windows Subsystem for Android in the documentation. Note that WSA is currently only available in the United States. Set up Windows Subsystem for Android ...
Join us at droidcon in 2022
Hello Android developers! We’re excited to announce that conference events are offering in-person attendance this year, which means we’ll be able to meet face-to-face in addition to interacting via social media and Twitch! droidcon San Francisco The first event on our droidcon calendar is San Francisco on June 2nd and 3rd. Join us at droidcon to learn more about building dual-screen and foldable apps for Android. I will be presenting a talk on Jetpack Compose: Foldable, Meet Compose Have you started to think about building or enhancing your application on foldable, dual-screen, and large-...
isSeparating: the field that unites all foldables
Hello Android developers, Today we are going to talk about a very useful field that is part of Jetpack Window Manager library. This field is called isSeparating, and will help you to understand when there is content separated by a FoldingFeature on a foldable device. The value of isSeparating will be if there is no content that is separated by a hinge or a fold. The value of isSeparating will be if there is content that is separated by a hinge or a fold. Is this field and the value it holds valid for all kinds of foldable devices, no matter how many physical displays or types of ...