In this episode Tor and Chet chat with Raluca Saucic and Eugene Yakavets about the new "Bring Your Own Model" feature in Android Studio which allows using other models than Gemini for agent mode, including models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and more. We also discuss using local models via Ollama and LM Studio.

Resources:
Use a remote model → https://goo.gle/43N2Z5E

Use a local model → https://goo.gle/3Xij27V

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:49 - Bring your own model
4:13 - Bring your own key
7:24 - Anthropic model
13:17- How often do you need to remind the model of the context?
17:40 - Thinking vs planning
20:25 - What happens when the API needs to give multiple answers to a complex question?
24:14 - Supported models
31:18 - Are there any barriers when using a different model?
34:07 - Support for code completion
38:16 - GitHub's relationship with agents
44:35 - Using agents for development
56:36 - Studiobot
57:56 - Wrap up

Hosts Tor and Chet are joined by Adarsh Fernando, a Product Manager, and Ray Buse, a Software Engineer, to discuss Journeys for Android Studio. Powered by Gemini's vision and reasoning, Journeys aims to simplify end-to-end test creation and maintenance by converting the natural language you provide to describe the steps and assertions for each test, resulting in actions and evaluations performed directly on your app.

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:46 - Journeys: New AI-powered testing approach
3:40 - How Journeys Works with Gemini
4:27 - The natural language advantage
5:49 - Real-world use case: Google Maps
6:53 - Debugging with AI reasoning
8:08 - Why Journeys is important: Bridging the testing gap
9:56 - Journeys and End-to-End Testing
12:18 - Performance and Cached Journeys
24:14 - Android Studio and Firebase integration
25:27 - The development workflow
31:22 - AI for everyone: Beyond end-to-end testing
33:28 - Looking ahead: Feedback and the future

Resources:
Journeys for Android Studio → https://goo.gle/4m9YOr3
App Testing (Android) → https://goo.gle/3HVKTqB
Tor on Bluesky → https://goo.gle/3ViCAYS
Chet on Bluesky → https://goo.gle/4gzpccM
Ardash on Bluesky → https://goo.gle/47JGNw9

To protect users from malware and scams, Android has announced a new layer of security: developer verification. While this is nothing new for Google Play Store apps, Android is extending this to the entire Android ecosystem. Host Tor is joined by Matthew, Patrick, Naheed, and Raz to discuss this latest security update that deters bad actors and creates a safer environment.

In this episode of Android Back Stage, Hosts Tor, and Chet are joined by Melba and Ralston, Software Engineers on the Compose Team, to talk about Autofill in Compose. Learn about Autofill services, best practices, and more!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - What is Autofill?
1:21 - Autofill team journey and semantics
2:15 - Defining semantics in Compose
3:29 - Bridging views and Compose for Autofill
4:23 - Developer Experience: Early autofill in Compose
7:02 - Autofill services and communication flow
7:59 - User authentication and multiple autofill services
12:53 - The Autofill flow: From tap to fill
21:56 - Handling list types and saving credentials (commit)
30:11 - The "Asteriks" bug and semantics refractor
31:09 - Performance improvements in Autofill
37:48 - Compose's architectural advantages (composition over inheritance)
40:30 - Best practices and future improvements

It can be a draw when setting up a new device. Some info transfers, while some don't. Learn how developers can ensure the best user experience when people backup and restore an Android device. Hosts Tor and Chet are joined by Graham and Piyush on the Android Consumer Experience team and Alon on the Android Studio team to discuss Android backup and restore.

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction & the user pain point

1:38 - Why backup fails: Developer challenges

4:00 - Evolution of backup testing: From scripts to Android Studio

7:15 - Beyond testing: Backup for developer workflow

8:50 - Cross-device backup & GMS core integration

10:55 - Understanding backup types: Devices vs. Cloud

14:55 - Data categories & developer control

16:05 - System-level backup: Permissions & credentials

18:35 - Default backup pitfalls & key-value agents

28:15 - Database migrations & backup stress testing

32:04 - Automated testing framework

41:02 - Recap & feedback channels

Join Tor and Siva Velusamy and Sandhya Mohan from the Android Studio team to learn about the latest updates to Studio Bot (Gemini in Android Studio) that dropped at Google I/O 2025 including Agent Mode. Building on their conversation from two years ago about the Studio Bot, they explore Gemini's role in every stage of development, from design to building, testing, and maintenance, the future of coding companions, and more.

Studio Bot podcast episode → https://goo.gle/3ZM0Wwx

Software Engineers Dustin Lam and Yigit Boyar join host Tor Norbye to chat all about Kotlin Multiplatform.

Resources:
Tor's Bluesky → https://goo.gle/4iLXEAg

Yigit's Bluesky → https://goo.gle/4dmsYVj

What is app safety for Android? What is the Android team working on to ensure developers and users alike enjoy safe and reliable apps? Watch along as Tor Norbye, Chet Haase, Romain Guy, Theresa Khuu, Naheed Vora take a deep dive backstage and discuss what's new in the Android safety space.

Resources:

Enhanced Tools for Secure & Efficient Development → https://goo.gle/42lo3i8

Watch more Android Developers Backstage → https://goo.gle/adb-podcast

Subscribe to Android Developers → https://goo.gle/AndroidDevs

#Featured #Android #AndroidDevelopersBackstage

Speakers: Tor Norbye, Chet Haase, Romain Guy, Theresa Khuu, Naheed Vora