Android Developers: 3 latest new features in Android

Published on May 29, 2017

Updated on Apr 17, 2020

Many new updates happened for Android developers lately after Google I/O. Initially there was no restriction on some features but now they have updated them with some restrictions.

We have covered new features and the old features as well with new restrictions.

Here are the old features with new restrictions:

• Background Execution Limits

Whenever an app runs in the background, it consumes some of the device’s limited resources, like RAM. This can result in an impaired user experience, especially if the user is using a resource-intensive app, such as playing a game or watching a video.
To lower the chance of these problems, Android O places limitations on what apps can do while users aren’t directly interacting with them. Apps are restricted in two ways:

Background Service Limitations: When an app’s service is running in the background might consume device resources which may lead to bad user experience, to avoid these type of issues Android system applies a number of limitations on background services, this does not apply to foreground services, which are more noticeable to the user.
Broadcast Limitations: Apps targeted Android O can not use their manifest to register for implicit broadcasts. They can still register for these broadcasts at runtime, and they can use the manifest to register for explicit broadcasts targeted specifically at their app.

Note: The restrictions are applied by default applied to apps which are targeting Android O and in terms of other applications users can enable these restrictions from the Settings screen even if the app has not targeted Android O.

• Android Background Location Limits

Considering battery usage and user experience , background apps which are using Android locations APIs to fetch the user’s location will receive location updates less frequently when the app is being used in a device running Android O, developers who are using Fused Location Provider (FLP), Geofencing, GNSS Measurements, Location Manager, Wi-Fi Manager will get affected by this change.

• Notifications

Notification Badges

Notification Badges are the new way of notifying users regarding the new notifications arrived for a particular app, this will display badges on app icons in supported launchers which show notifications associated with one or more notification channels in an app, which the user has not yet dismissed or acted on.
Notification Channels

Using Notification channels developers can group their application’s notifications by category so that the user can apply few characteristics basing on the notification category. When you target Android O, you must implement one or more notification channels to display notifications to your users. If you don’t target Android O, your apps behave the same as they do on Android 7.0 when running on Android O devices.

Google says that the following characteristics can be applied to notification channels and that when the user assigns one of these, it will be applied channel- wide and they are as follows

Importance
Sound
Lights
Vibration
Show on lock screen
Override do not disturb

Here are some new features:

• New in UI and Styling

There are bunch of new features of UI and Styling are introduced in Android O and are as follows

1. Fonts

Android introduced fonts in XML through which we can use custom fonts as resources, You can add your custom font file in res/font/ folder to bundle fonts as resources and can access as a normal resource file and Android Support Library 26 introduce support for APIs to request fonts from a provider application instead of bundling files into your project which helps in reducing your application size
To use these font features on devices running Android API version 14 and higher, a developer needs to use the Support Library 26.

2. Auto Sizing Textviews

By using Support Library 26 Beta developers can now instruct to their app’s Textview to automatically increase or decrease the size to fit perfectly within the boundaries of the Textview.

3. Adaptive Icons

Adaptive icons can display app’s launcher icons in a variety of shapes across different devices for instance in Google Nexus the launcher icon might be in circular and in some Samsung device it might be squircle. Google says that with Android O, each device can provide a mask for the icon, which the OS can use to render all icons with the same shape. This will likely be embraced by OEMs(Original Equipment Manufacturer) who would like to have some unique looking home screens.

4. Autofill Framework

This framework will help the user by pre-filling the user information and user can save time as Filling out forms is a time-consuming and error-prone task. Users can easily get frustrated with apps that require these type of tasks. The Autofill Framework improves the user experience by providing the following benefits:

Less time spent in filling fields Autofill saves users from re-typing information.
Minimize user input errors Typing is prone to errors, especially on mobile devices. Removing the necessity of typing information also removes the errors that come with it.

• Picture in Picture Mode

In Android 7.0, Android TV users can now watch a video in a pinned window in a corner of the screen when navigating within or between apps whereas it was not available to other devices whereas from Android O Picture in Picture is available to all the devices, not just the Android TV.

• Kotlin For Android

Java is the mostly used programming language for the development of Android, When you run a Java application, the app is compiled into a set of instructions called Bytecode and runs in a virtual machine. Many alternative Languages has been introduced to also run on the JVM through which the resulting app looks the same for the JVM
JetBrains, known for IntelliJ IDEA (Android Studio is based on IntelliJ), has introduced the Kotlin language.Kotlin is a statically-typed programming language that runs on the JVM. It can also be compiled to JavaScript source code.

Why Kotlin For Android?

Interoperability with Java
Intuitive and easy to read
Good Android Studio Support
Safe to avoid entire classes of errors such as null pointer exceptions.
Less to write compared to Java
Safe to avoid entire classes of errors such as null pointer exceptions.
Versatile for building server-side applications, Android apps or frontend code running in the browser.

Stay tuned for more new updates on Android.

Check out these articles to catch the latest trends in mobile apps:

The insurance industry thrives on relationships—but it can only scale through efficiency, precision, and timely distribution. While much of the digital transformation buzz has focused on customer-facing portals, the real transformation is happening in the field, where modern sales apps are quietly driving a smarter, faster, and more empowered agent network.

Let’s explore how mobile-first sales enablement platforms are reshaping insurance sales across prospecting, onboarding, servicing, renewals, and growth.

The Insurance Agent Needs More Than a CRM

Today’s insurance agent is not just a policy seller—they’re also a financial advisor, data gatherer, service representative, and the face of the brand. Yet many still rely on paper forms, disconnected tools, and manual processes.

That’s where intelligent sales apps come in—not just to digitize, but to optimize, personalize, and future-proof the entire agent journey.

Real-World Use Cases: What Smart Sales Apps Are Solving

Across the insurance value chain, sales agent apps have evolved into full-service platforms—streamlining operations, boosting conversions, and empowering agents in the field. These tools aren’t optional anymore, they’re critical to how modern insurers perform. Here’s how leading insurers are empowering their agents through technology:

1. Intelligent Prospecting & Lead Management

Sales apps now empower agents to:

Prioritize leads using filters like policy type, value, or geography
Schedule follow-ups with integrated agent calendars
Utilize locators to look for nearby branch offices or partner physicians
Register and service new leads directly from mobile devices

Agents spend significantly less time navigating through disjointed systems or chasing down information. With quick access to prioritized leads, appointment scheduling, and location tools—all in one app—they can focus more on meaningful customer interactions and closing sales, rather than administrative overhead.

2. Seamless Policy Servicing, Renewals & Claims

Sales apps centralize post-sale activities such as:

Tracking policy status, premium due date, and claims progress
Sending renewal reminders, greetings, and policy alerts in real-time
Accessing digital sales journeys and pre-filled forms.
Policy comparison, calculating premiums, and submitting documents digitally
Registering and monitoring customer complaints through the app itself

Customers receive a consistent and seamless experience across touchpoints—whether online, in-person, or via mobile. With digital forms, real-time policy updates, and instant access to servicing tools, agents can handle post-sale tasks like renewals and claims faster, without paperwork delays—leading to improved satisfaction and higher retention.

3. Remote Sales using Assisted Tools

Using smart tools, agents can:

Securely co-browse documents with customers through proposals
Share product visualizations in real time
Complete eKYC and onboarding remotely.

Agents can conduct secure, interactive consultations from anywhere—sharing proposals, visual aids, and completing eKYC remotely. This not only expands their reach to customers in digital-first or geographically dispersed markets, but also builds greater trust through real-time engagement, clear communication, and a personalized advisory experience—all without needing a physical presence.

4. Real-Time Training, Performance & Compliance Monitoring

Modern insurance apps provide:

On-demand access to training material
Commission dashboards and incentive monitoring
Performance reporting with actionable insights

Field agents gain access to real-time performance insights, training modules, and incentive tracking—directly within the app. This empowers them to upskill on the go, stay motivated through transparent goal-setting, and make informed decisions that align with overall business KPIs. The result is a more agile, knowledgeable, and performance-driven sales force.

5. End-to-End Sales Execution—Even Offline

Advanced insurance apps support:

Full application submission, from prospect to payment
Offline functionality in low-connectivity zones
Real-time needs analysis, quote generation, and e-signatures
Multi-login access with secure OTP-based authentication

Even in low-connectivity or remote Tier 2 and 3 markets, agents can operate at full capacity—thanks to offline capabilities, secure authentication, and end-to-end sales execution tools. This ensures uninterrupted productivity, faster policy issuance, and adherence to compliance standards, regardless of location or network availability.

6. AI-Powered Personalization for Health-Linked Products

Some forward-thinking insurers are combining AI with health platforms to:

Import real-time health data from fitness trackers or health apps
Offer hyper-personalized insurance suggestions based on lifestyle
Enable field agents to tailor recommendations with more context

By integrating real-time health data from fitness trackers and wellness apps, insurers can offer hyper-personalized, preventive insurance products tailored to individual lifestyles. This empowers agents to move beyond transactional selling—becoming trusted advisors who recommend coverage based on customers’ health habits, life stages, and future needs, ultimately deepening engagement and improving long-term retention.

The Mantra Labs Advantage: Turning Strategy into Scalable Execution

We help insurers go beyond surface-level digitization to build intelligent, mobile-first ecosystems that optimize agent efficiency and customer engagement—backed by real-world impact.

Seamless Sales Enablement for Travel Insurance

We partnered with a leading travel insurance provider to develop a high-performance agent workflow platform featuring:

Secure Logins: Instant credential-based access without sign-up friction
Real-Time Performance Dashboards: At-a-glance insights into daily/monthly targets, policy issuance, and collections
Frictionless Policy Issuance: Complete issuance post-payment and document verification
OCR Integration: Auto-filled customer details directly from passport scans, minimizing errors and speeding up onboarding

This mobile-first solution empowered agents to close policies faster with significantly reduced paperwork and data entry time—improving agent productivity by 2x and enabling sales at scale.

Engagement + Analytics Transformation for Health Insurance

For one of India’s leading health insurers, we helped implement a full-funnel engagement and analytics stack:

User Journey Intelligence: Replaced legacy systems to track granular app behavior—policy purchases, renewals, claims, discounts, and drop-offs. Enabled real-time behavioral segmentation and personalized push/email notifications.
Gamified Wellness with Fitness Tracking: Added gamified fitness engagement, with rewards based on step counts and interactive nutrition quizzes—driving repeat app visits and user loyalty.
Attribution Tracking: Trace the exact source of traffic—whether it’s a paid campaign, referral program, or organic source—adding a layer of precision to marketing ROI.
Analytics: Integrated analytics to identify user interest segments. This allowed for hyper-targeted email and in-app notifications that aligned perfectly with user intent, driving both relevance and response rates.

Whether you’re digitizing field sales, gamifying customer wellness, or fine-tuning your marketing engine, Mantra Labs brings the technology depth, insurance expertise, and user-first design to turn strategy into scalable execution.

If you’re ready to modernize your agent network – Get in touch with us to explore how we can build intelligent, mobile-first tools tailored to your distribution strategy. Just remember, the best sales apps aren’t just tools, they’re growth engines; and field sales success isn’t about more apps. It’s about the right workflows, in the right hands, at the right time.