Beyond responsive: How adaptive Android apps pave the way for XR

Google I/O 2025 made one thing clear: Adaptive Android development is no longer optional. It’s essential. Today's Android ecosystem isn’t just about smartphones and tablets; it's rapidly expanding into foldables, Chromebooks, car interfaces, and beyond. But perhaps the most exciting future lies in immersive experiences: Android XR and upcoming smart glasses, developed in partnership with companies like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.

Building adaptive apps today isn’t just beneficial for current devices; it’s foundational preparation for developers in creating compelling augmented and virtual reality (XR) experiences for tomorrow.

What is adaptive design? 

Adaptive design is a development approach that enables a single app codebase to dynamically adjust its layout and functionality to provide an optimal user experience across a wide range of Android devices and screen sizes. Traditionally, Android developers created responsive designs with fixed layouts for different devices, using predetermined breakpoints to switch designs. Adaptive design, however, involves creating one flexible codebase capable of dynamically adjusting to any screen size or device type.

This critical shift demands developers think differently, focusing less on specific devices and more on creating modular UI components that adapt fluidly, laying essential groundwork for immersive XR environments.

The adaptive imperative

Adaptive design directly influences user experience, retention, and business success. Users now expect intuitive and lovable experiences on every device they use. If your app doesn't deliver, your users will quickly move to competitors who can. Adaptive apps also typically rank higher on Google Play, offering a further competitive advantage.

It’s also important for brands and businesses to consider that users engaging with multiple devices — including on future XR glasses — will likely be among their most valuable customers. Imagine interactive 3D environments tied directly to the content you're streaming, or an e-commerce app providing virtual trials for products in augmented reality. The more deeply engaging the experiences, the more likely they are to lead to sales and revenue. And these experiences aren’t distant dreams — they're imminent possibilities, made achievable through adaptive Android development.

At Google IO, a keynote demo of Android XR and prototype smart glasses highlights a language translation app. Source: Google

Google's adaptive toolkit: Preparing for XR

Google I/O 2025 showcased essential tools for adaptive app development, forming the foundational toolkit for XR. These tools aren't just important for developers — they're pivotal for businesses aiming to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. For developers, they streamline the creation of flexible apps that smoothly adapt to any form factor, reducing complexity and increasing efficiency. Understanding these tools means recognizing their potential to enable consistently engaging user experiences across all types of devices, from traditional smartphones to future XR glasses and virtual environments:

• Jetpack Compose: A declarative UI framework ideal for creating adaptable, dynamic layouts, setting developers up to smoothly transition into designing intuitive spatial interfaces in XR.

• Canonical layouts: Automatically adjust layouts based on the user's environment and separate navigation logic from screens, facilitating easy scalability from small screens to expansive virtual surfaces.

• Jetpack Navigation 3: Simplifies multi-pane layouts so developers can dynamically isolate and combine features without significant refactoring.

• Window size classes: Allow developers to fine-tune experiences for specific device capabilities without complicated workarounds, ensuring a tailored and seamless user experience.

• Modularization: Enhances clarity by enabling developers to isolate specific functions and manage complex cases more effectively, ensuring a robust yet flexible application structure suitable for a wide variety of future XR scenarios.

Real-world adaptive Android use cases

Consider everyday scenarios like managing finances or streaming entertainment. Adaptive design already enhances these experiences — such as multi-window banking apps simplifying taxes or foldable streaming apps providing dual-screen interactivity. These practical enhancements give users a taste of the future, where immersive XR experiences will multiply possibilities exponentially.

We can imagine Airbnb offering immersive room tours or a retail app that augments the physical shopping experience with offers based on the shopper’s location in the store. Adaptive apps are the bridges enabling businesses to seamlessly transition into these exciting XR scenarios.

Testing and refining adaptive apps

Building adaptive apps does come with its challenges — chief among them, ensuring reliability across diverse devices. Google offers essential testing resources to streamline this process:

• Composable preview functions offer rapid visual feedback across diverse screen sizes.

• Device configuration overrides allow thorough testing of apps across various scenarios like different window sizes or fonts.

• Test Journeys with Gemini is a new Android Studio tool that uses natural language instructions to simplify adaptive layout testing.

Android XR: The adaptive endgame

SOURCE: Google Blog

Android XR represents the ultimate goal of adaptive app development — going beyond traditional screens into fully immersive, interactive 3D environments. Adaptive apps built today won’t just work in XR — they will thrive, automatically handling varied sizes and positions elegantly, even as interfaces extend into three dimensions.

Yet, XR introduces unique UX challenges, such as navigating infinite virtual spaces and handling new interaction patterns like hand gestures or eye tracking. Adaptive practices provide developers a strong foundation, ensuring apps can gracefully evolve to meet these emerging needs.

Future-proofing your digital experiences

The convergence of adaptive development with XR is inevitable and exciting. Businesses preparing now will have a clear competitive edge. Here are some practical first steps: 

• Stay informed: Track evolving adaptive and XR technologies.

• Explore Jetpack Compose: Experiment with adaptive layout capabilities today.

• Start small: Adapt current app features progressively, learning and refining as you go.

Your adaptive journey starts now

At ArcTouch, we've learned through experience: Successful adaptive development begins with foresight, planning, and embracing change. Leveraging our deep experience in Android development and connected products, we help companies smoothly transition toward the exciting opportunities XR will soon offer.

The future isn't just adaptive — it's immersive. By starting now, your business can seamlessly step into that future, creating lovable experiences that not only engage users today but also captivate and delight in tomorrow’s XR-driven world.

Don’t wait for XR — begin your adaptive journey today.

Ready to make your Android app adaptive? 

Our experienced Android app development team is here to help. Contact us if you’d like to discuss how adaptive development can help your app today — and prepare your app for XR.