How do you manage screen size and orientation in Android app development?

1 Use ConstraintLayout

ConstraintLayout is a flexible and powerful layout that allows you to create complex and responsive user interfaces without nesting multiple views. You can use constraints to define how the views are positioned and sized relative to each other, the parent layout, or guidelines. ConstraintLayout also supports different screen sizes and orientations by allowing you to create different layouts for different configurations using the layout editor or XML attributes.

2 Use Adaptive Icons

Adaptive icons are icons that can adapt to different shapes and sizes depending on the device and launcher. They consist of two layers: a foreground and a background. The foreground contains the main icon image, while the background provides a fill color or a gradient. You can use adaptive icons to create consistent and attractive icons for your app that look good on different devices and screen densities. You can create adaptive icons using Android Studio or a third-party tool.

3 Use Vector Drawables

Vector drawables are images that are defined by XML files that describe the shape, color, and stroke of the image. Unlike bitmap images, vector drawables can scale without losing quality or increasing file size. You can use vector drawables to create icons, logos, illustrations, and other graphics for your app that can adapt to different screen sizes and densities. You can create vector drawables using Android Studio or a third-party tool.

4 Use Resource Qualifiers

Resource qualifiers are suffixes that you can add to your resource folders or files to specify which configuration they are designed for. For example, you can use resource qualifiers to create different layouts, drawables, values, or strings for different screen sizes, orientations, densities, or languages. You can use resource qualifiers to provide alternative resources for your app that can suit different devices and user preferences. You can use Android Studio or a text editor to create resource qualifiers.

5 Use Configuration Changes

Configuration changes are events that occur when the device changes its state, such as orientation, locale, or keyboard availability. By default, Android recreates your activity when a configuration change occurs, which can cause data loss or performance issues. You can use configuration changes to control how your app responds to different device states and preserve your activity state. You can use configuration changes by overriding the onConfigurationChanged() method or declaring the android:configChanges attribute in your manifest file.

6 Test Your App

Testing your app is an essential part of Android app development, especially when it comes to screen size and orientation. You can use various tools and methods to test your app on different devices and configurations, such as emulators, physical devices, Firebase Test Lab, or Android Studio's Layout Inspector. You can use testing tools and methods to check your app's layout, functionality, performance, and usability on different screen sizes and orientations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?