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Android flavors

info

Only the :app and :automotive modules are affected by these flavors.

Overview​

The Android app is built with two flavors: full and minimal. These flavors allow us to cater to different user preferences. This document explains the differences between the flavors, their features, and the rationale behind their implementation.

App flavors​

Shared code​

We try, as much as possible, to keep everything in the source set agnostic main of the flavor so that everyone can benefit from new features. We will always favor open-source solutions if we can.

Full flavor​

The full flavor uses the Google Play Services, enabling features such as:

  • Location tracking
  • Push notifications
  • Communication with Wear OS devices

This flavor is the one distributed via the Google Play Store.

Minimal flavor​

The minimal flavor is designed for users who prefer or require an app without Google Play Services. It has the following limitations:

  • ❌ No location tracking for presence detection
  • ❌ No push notifications (except when using local notification over the WebSocket)
  • ❌ No communication with Wear OS devices
  • ❌ No crash reporting

Despite these limitations, the minimal flavor allows us to offer the app to a broader audience, including users of devices without Google Play Services. If viable open-source alternatives to Google Play Services features are found, they may be considered for inclusion in the minimal flavor to remove these limitations.

This flavor is used, for instance:

  • For manual downloads of the APK or through F-Droid.
  • For Meta Quest devices.
  • For the Automotive build for OEM.