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As vehicles evolve into digital experiences, the need for glanceable, fast, and distraction-free interfaces becomes paramount. In Android Automotive OS (AAOS), this demand has led to the emergence of the Jetpack Glance framework — a powerful tool for creating UI surfaces that are lightweight, fast to load, and safe for drivers to interact with.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how Jetpack Glance can be used to build a media playback card for Android Automotive OS. From setting up dependencies to implementing a full-featured glanceable media widget with play/pause/skip functionality — we’ll walk through the full picture with code, context, and best practices.
Jetpack Glance is a declarative UI library designed for building remote user interfaces, including:
Think of Glance as the Compose-inspired sibling of RemoteViews, but tailored for rendering quickly, efficiently, and safely on surfaces with strict interaction rules — like a car’s infotainment screen.
Using Glance in AAOS allows developers to:
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Media Cards | Display now-playing info and basic playback controls |
| Navigation Previews | Show turn-by-turn summaries or route cards |
| Vehicle Status | Fuel, tire pressure, battery charge level |
| Contextual Alerts | Door open, low fuel, safety notifications |
Update your build.gradle with the latest Glance libraries:
dependencies {
implementation "androidx.glance:glance:1.0.0"
implementation "androidx.glance:glance-appwidget:1.0.0"
implementation "androidx.glance:glance-wear-tiles:1.0.0" // optional
implementation "androidx.core:core-ktx:1.12.0"
}Tip: Glance is backward-compatible with Android 12 and above, making it suitable for most AAOS setups.
Let’s walk through a full example where we build a media playback widget that can be shown in a center display or cluster (with OEM support).
class MediaGlanceWidget : GlanceAppWidget() {
@Composable
override fun Content() {
val title = "Song Title"
val artist = "Artist Name"
Column(
modifier = GlanceModifier
.fillMaxSize()
.padding(16.dp)
.background(Color.DarkGray),
verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally
) {
Text("Now Playing", style = TextStyle(fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold, color = Color.White))
Spacer(Modifier.height(8.dp))
Text(title, style = TextStyle(color = Color.White))
Text(artist, style = TextStyle(color = Color.LightGray))
Spacer(Modifier.height(16.dp))
Row(horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally) {
Image(
provider = ImageProvider(R.drawable.ic_previous),
contentDescription = "Previous",
modifier = GlanceModifier.size(32.dp).clickable {
actionStartService<MediaControlService>("ACTION_PREVIOUS")
}
)
Spacer(Modifier.width(16.dp))
Image(
provider = ImageProvider(R.drawable.ic_play),
contentDescription = "Play",
modifier = GlanceModifier.size(32.dp).clickable {
actionStartService<MediaControlService>("ACTION_PLAY_PAUSE")
}
)
Spacer(Modifier.width(16.dp))
Image(
provider = ImageProvider(R.drawable.ic_next),
contentDescription = "Next",
modifier = GlanceModifier.size(32.dp).clickable {
actionStartService<MediaControlService>("ACTION_NEXT")
}
)
}
}
}
}Since Glance doesn’t support direct onClick behavior like Compose, we use a Service to act on UI interactions.
class MediaControlService : Service() {
override fun onStartCommand(intent: Intent?, flags: Int, startId: Int): Int {
when (intent?.action) {
"ACTION_PLAY_PAUSE" -> togglePlayPause()
"ACTION_NEXT" -> skipToNext()
"ACTION_PREVIOUS" -> skipToPrevious()
}
return START_NOT_STICKY
}
private fun togglePlayPause() {
// Hook into MediaSession or ExoPlayer
}
private fun skipToNext() {
// Forward playback command
}
private fun skipToPrevious() {
// Rewind playback
}
override fun onBind(intent: Intent?): IBinder? = null
}To register the widget and service:
<receiver
android:name=".MediaGlanceWidgetReceiver"
android:exported="true">
<intent-filter>
<action android:name="android.appwidget.action.APPWIDGET_UPDATE" />
</intent-filter>
<meta-data
android:name="android.appwidget.provider"
android:resource="@xml/media_widget_info" />
</receiver>
<service
android:name=".MediaControlService"
android:exported="false" />In res/xml/media_widget_info.xml:
<appwidget-provider
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:minWidth="180dp"
android:minHeight="100dp"
android:updatePeriodMillis="60000"
android:widgetCategory="home_screen" />Jetpack Glance is quickly becoming a go-to tool for developers looking to build safe, fast, and flexible UI surfaces across Android form factors. In the automotive space, it shines by helping deliver minimalist, glanceable media controls that respect both performance and safety constraints.
As AAOS continues to evolve, expect more OEM support for Glance in clusters, dashboards, and center displays — especially with the push toward custom car launchers and immersive media experiences
If you’re diving into Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) development in 2025, chances are you’ve already come across tools like Android Studio, Xcode, and Gradle. But there’s one small, powerful tool that can make or break your setup experience: KDoctor. In this blog, we’ll explore what KDoctor is, why it’s a must-have for Kotlin Multiplatform developers,...
If you’re diving into Java programming, one of the most empowering features to understand is multithreading. It allows you to run multiple tasks concurrently, making your application more efficient and responsive. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to create threads in Java, using both the Thread class and the Runnable interface.
Multithreading helps your program perform multiple operations simultaneously. Think of downloading files, processing data, and updating the UI all at once. Without multithreading, these tasks would run one after the other, slowing everything down.
Java makes multithreading easy thanks to built-in support via the Thread class and the Runnable interface.
This is the most direct way to create a thread in Java.
Thread class.run() method.start() method.class MyThread extends Thread {
public void run() {
System.out.println("Thread is running...");
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
MyThread t1 = new MyThread();
t1.start();
}
}run() defines the code that runs in the new thread.start() creates a new thread and invokes run().run() directly, it runs in the main thread, not a new one.This method is simple but has a limitation: your class can’t extend any other class since Java doesn’t support multiple inheritance.
A more flexible way to create threads in Java is by implementing the Runnable interface.
Runnable.run() method.Thread constructor.class MyRunnable implements Runnable {
public void run() {
System.out.println("Runnable thread is running...");
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
MyRunnable myRunnable = new MyRunnable();
Thread t1 = new Thread(myRunnable);
t1.start();
}
}run()) from the thread execution (managed by Thread).| Feature | Thread Class | Runnable Interface |
|---|---|---|
| Inheritance Limitation | Yes (extends Thread) | No (implements Runnable) |
| Separation of Concerns | No | Yes |
| Recommended For | Simple one-off threads | Better architecture & reuse |
If you’re working with short-lived tasks, you don’t need to write a separate class.
Thread t = new Thread(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
System.out.println("Anonymous thread running");
}
});
t.start();Thread t = new Thread(() -> {
System.out.println("Lambda thread running");
});
t.start();run() directly. Use start() to ensure a new thread is created.Runnable when possible. It offers better design flexibility.Thread t = new Thread(runnable, "WorkerThread");ExecutorService.Want more details? Check out the full guide: [Main Article URL]
Learning how to create threads in Java isn’t just about writing concurrent code. It’s about writing efficient, clean, and scalable applications.
Start with Thread if you’re just experimenting. Move to Runnable for better design. Embrace lambdas and anonymous classes for quick jobs.
Multithreading is a key skill in Java. Master it, and you unlock a whole new level of performance for your applications.
Q: Can I start a thread without creating a class?
A: Yes, use anonymous classes or lambdas.
Q: What happens if I call run() instead of start()?
A: The code runs in the main thread, not in a new thread.
Q: Is Runnable better than Thread?
A: Usually yes. It gives more design flexibility and aligns with best practices.
If you’re learning Java, you’ve probably come across the term multithreading. It may sound complicated at first, but it’s one of the most powerful features Java offers for building fast and responsive applications. This guide will break down multithreading in Java. You’ll learn what it is, why it matters, how it works, and how to...
An “Everything-to-All” app, also called a super app, is a unified mobile platform that combines multiple services — chat, payments, rideshare, e-commerce, social media, and even banking — into a single, seamless experience.
Imagine one app to message friends, order food, book a ride, pay bills, shop online, and access digital banking — without installing multiple apps.
These apps dominate markets by maximizing user retention, lifetime value, and platform lock-in.
A successful super app must be:
Client (Mobile/Web)
|
API Gateway (Auth, Routing, Throttling)
|
Service Mesh ←→ Microservices
|
Databases & Caching (SQL, NoSQL, Redis)
|
Infrastructure (Kubernetes, CDN, CI/CD, Monitoring)| Layer | Technologies/Services |
|---|---|
| Frontend | React Native, Swift, Kotlin, Web |
| Gateway/API Layer | NGINX, Envoy, Kong, OAuth 2.0 |
| Microservices | Go, Node.js, Java (Spring Boot) |
| Messaging Layer | Kafka, RabbitMQ, gRPC |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra |
| Caching | Redis, Memcached |
| Infra & CI/CD | Docker, Kubernetes, GitOps, Prometheus, Grafana |
| Component | Strategy |
|---|---|
| API Gateway | Rate-limiting, caching, circuit breakers |
| Database | Sharding, read replicas, failovers |
| Search | Elasticsearch + denormalized indexing |
| Messaging | Kafka partitions, message deduplication |
| Mobile UX | Lazy loading, skeleton screens, retries |
Designing a super app is like architecting a digital operating system. It requires:
Super apps are the future of mobile ecosystems, especially in developing markets where app fatigue and limited device storage are real concerns.
Q1: Can one team build a super app?
A: No. It requires multiple teams managing modular services and shared infrastructure.
Q2: Is monolithic better than microservices for MVP?
A: A hybrid monolith with modular layers can be a good MVP. But plan for microservices later.
Q3: How to prioritize features?
A: Start with a strong vertical (e.g., payments or chat), then grow horizontally by user demand.
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