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Top 10 Android Developer Skills to Look At While Hiring Developers

Google bought Android for only $50 million in 2005 and today Google earns more than 48 billion US dollars from Play Store. Android platform has around 3 billion active users and most businesses want to hire Android developers because they know where their target audience resides.

With approximately 110 million iPhone users and 130 million Android users in the USA, there is a substantial market for mobile apps. Building an app for Android users can create an ample number of customers for your app. However, creating scalable and innovative applications requires expertise

Skilled Android developers possess the knowledge and experience. But if you don’t know what skills your app developers should possess, evaluating them before hiring can be difficult for you. Therefore, knowing Android developer skills is crucial. If you hire
Android app development company, you must still assess the firm to match your app requirements.

This blog will outline the top 10 Android developer skills, helping you identify the best professionals for your dream project.

Boost Your App’s Performance: Hire an Expert Android Developer

Android or iOS? Do you also need clarification like most people about the platform selection? Before you delve into the skills of Android developers, clarify this confusion as it will help you understand the Android developers’ skills better.

Benefits of hiring Android developers:

1. Access to a vast global user base-
   Out of every 4 smartphones, 3 use Android OS. Android has an impressive market in countries like China, India, Mexico, Brazil, and the USA as well. So, if you hire dedicated Android app developers, you can reach a vast global user base for your business.
2. Open-source nature-
   The open-source nature of Android OS not only makes it affordable but also flexible. Customization of apps is easy on the Android operating system. Developers can modify the Android OS according to their specific needs. Flexibility provides more room for creativity which is crucial nowadays to be ahead of competitors.
3. Various development tools-
   Developing an Android app has become quite easy because of various development tools. They have made the lives of developers easy. Android Studio IDE, Firebase, and Gradle streamline app development.
4. Community support-
   Good community support helps each other in writing better code. Developers help each other to find solutions quickly and build effective software solutions. They help in troubleshooting technical issues. You can stay updated on trends with community support.
5. Effective flexibility-
   Android offers a great level of flexibility for hardware compatibility. It helps them create apps that can easily run on different devices. Regardless of screen sizes and resolutions, Android apps run seamlessly.

Android vs iOS development:

• Android was developed by Google and the iOS platform was built by Apple company.
• We have already read Android is an open-source platform. Flexibility and customization are crucial characteristics of Android. iOS is a closed ecosystem for sleek designs.
• iOS apps are limited to Apple devices. Whereas, Android apps can be used in both iOS and Android with cross-platform technologies.
• Java and Kotlin are the most used languages for building Android applications. Swift and Objective C are popular technologies to build iOS apps.
• Most iOS developers use Swift UI, IDE, and Xcode for building iOS applications while Android studio IDE and Firebase are the common technologies to build Android apps.

The image shows that most developers targeted the Android operating system in 2022 and 2023

Image Source

Hire Android Developers with These Key Responsibilities

Knowing the responsibilities of Android developers helps you evaluate their skills for your project effectively. Here are the key responsibilities.

1. Design and develop Android applications:
   Designing and developing are the core responsibilities of Android developers. Whether they are working in a Mobile app development company or doing freelancing, they have to handle both tasks. They have to develop scalable, user-friendly, and efficient applications according to the project requirements.
2. UI/UX design implementation:
   Android developers have to bring design concepts to life by transforming visual mockups and wireframes. They understand the wireframe designs, build logic, and create user-friendly interfaces. They have to ensure that the final product matches with the original designs. Android developers have to do it while keeping development guidelines in mind.
3. Code maintenance and optimization:
   You as a developer have to maintain the code even after completing writing it. Your code is your responsibility until you are part of the project. You have to frequently review and update the codebase. It helps to deal with bug fixes, security patches, and new features. Identifying performance bottlenecks is also a crucial task for Android app developers.
4. Integration of third-party APIs:
   Integration of third-party APIs is crucial to enhance the capability of an application. They enhance functionalities and capabilities for a better user experience. However, it is not that easy. First developers have to research and identify suitable third-party APIs. Moreover, they have to take care of authentication and authorization.
5. Testing and debugging:
   Whatever, you have built till now, it is crucial to check whether it works as desired or not. Well, many Android app development tools help developers from development to testing, but often manual testing is also helpful. You as an Android developer have to conduct intense testing and debugging to check and fix software defects.
6. Version control and collaboration:
   This is another important responsibility of developers. Before you hire Android developers, you must check for this responsibility. Developers must know how to utilize version control systems like Git and manage code. They should know how to communicate with cross-functional teams including backend developers and designers.

So, these were the responsibilities of Android developers. Now check the image presented below. The distribution of Android developers worldwide demonstrates that the USA has the highest number of Android developers followed by India.

Image Source

Simplify Your Hiring Process: Hire an Android Developer Now

So far in this blog, you have understood that Android development is the most sought-after skill. Since every business wants the best applications to beat its competitors, finding excellent developers to build these applications naturally becomes crucial.

You can hire top Android developers in a short time if you check the skills mentioned below.

1. Proficiency in Kotlin or Java
2. Strong understanding of Android architecture
3. Mastery of material design
4. Experience with Jetpack compose
5. Knowledge of MVVM
6. Experience with dependency injection
7. Unit and UI testing skills
8. Version control proficiency
9. Expertise in reactive programming
10. Continuous integration

Let’s learn about these skills in detail so that you can understand how to hire mobile app developers impeccably.

1. Proficiency in Kotlin or Java:

   It is one of the basic and core skills of Android developers. If you see a developer who doesn’t possess this skill, no need to check for the rest of the skills, you can move to another candidate. Kotlin has become the preferred language for building Android applications due to its improved readability, powerful features, and concise syntax.

   Kotlin offers many benefits over traditional languages like Java. Kotlin developers proficient in this language can utilize its features and tools effectively. These developers can adopt modern development techniques and take advantage of the latest Android features and APIs.

   On the other hand, Java is also the most widely used programming language across the world. Conduct technical interviews that include coding exercises and problem-solving. Assess developers based on their ability to write impeccable clean code and maintainable Java code.

2. Strong understanding of Android architecture:

   A strong understanding of Android architecture components including live data, room, and view models is essential to build robust applications. View model deals with UI-related data and surviving configuration. While live data ensures data synchronization between UI components and data sources.

   Well, this is too much technicality. You don’t need to go that deep. What you need to do is conduct a test to evaluate the developer’s understanding of Android architecture. Includes questions related to ORM, database operations, and other Android architecture-related questions.

3. Mastery of material design:

   This design language was developed by Google in 2014. It is used for creating appealing, consistent, and intuitive user interfaces. Android developers must know about material design to build user-friendly and intuitive designs. They must know how to use bold colors, animations, and realistic shadows.

   Developers can ensure standardization and consistency across Android apps. It helps in improving user experience. They can build apps that look and feel native to the Android system. Having effective knowledge of how to implement material design is an important skill for Android developers.

   Ask your potential Android developers; can they discuss how material design influences UI/UX decisions? Have they implemented complex material design principles in their previous project?



4. Experience with Jetpack compose:

   Jetpack is a contemporary UI toolkit on which Android developers should have hands-on experience. They can craft dynamic and responsive user interfaces with the Jetpack compose. Evaluating whether the developers have experience using Jetpack compose or not helps you understand hire them or not for your project.

   Experience with Jetpack is crucial to understand how to build an Android app. If developers have participated in projects using Jetpack Compose, they can effectively provide insights into their practical application of the toolkit.

   Ask some questions to evaluate their skills with Jetpack Compose. Can you describe how you created dynamic and responsive UIs using the Jetpack tool? In how many projects you have used Jetpack? You can ask many more questions to evaluate the developer’s skills better.

5. Knowledge of MVVM:

   Model View-ViewModel is an architectural pattern widely used in Android app development. It divides the app into three main components:

   • Model
   • View
   • ViewModel

   This architecture separates code for better understanding and handling. It makes the codebase more modular and easier to maintain. If developers have experience using MVVM, they can effectively build your application with clean code. They can work on the different parts of the application independently, leading to better scalability.

   So, assess the knowledge and experience of Android developers with MVVM. Ask candidates to explain the benefits of MVVM and how they can implement this model in your project. This way, you can gauge their proficiency in architectural patterns.

6. Experience with dependency injection:

   Evaluate the understanding of Android developers about dependency injection. This is another important skill on the list. First, analyze their conceptual understanding by asking fundamental questions like; what is dependency injection, why it is important in Android development, can you differentiate between field injection, method injection, and constructor injection.

   Also, ask them which dependency injection frameworks they use. If they claim to have experience with specific dependency injection, you can dig deeper into their knowledge to cross-check.

   Since it’s an important skill of Android developers asking the right questions will help you find the best professionals for your project. Identify which questions to ask so that you can easily figure out whether they are skillful or not.

7. Unit and UI testing skills:

   Unit and UI testing skills are fundamental for validating the functionality and user experience of Android developers. Whoever you are selecting for your project should have an understanding and hands-on experience in doing Unit and UI testing for quality software solutions.

   Developers having UI testing skills are capable of finding mistakes. Even they can figure out times when most developers make mistakes while writing code. It helps them to develop

   This is equally applicable when hiring React Native app developers. These developers ensure the reliability and user satisfaction of cross-platform applications. You can also gauge their communication skills as it helps them to express and explain issues with the project and process. If they can communicate clearly, understanding problems and finding solutions become easy.

8. Version control proficiency:

   Developers should have the skills to effectively manage and collaborate on code changes. Version control systems like Git help in the same. Understanding Git workflows, resolving merge conflicts, using branching strategies, and many others are crucial things that Android developers should be aware of.

   This skill enables developers to track changes to the codebase with time. It provides them with a detailed history of modifications and facilitates collaboration among team members.

   When you hire Android developers with this skill, you increase the chances of having an updated application. So, with this skill, Android developers can manage the codebase, enhance productivity, and streamline the development process.

9. Expertise in reactive programming:

   Expertise in reactive programming is crucial for Android developers, especially when a client wants all the benefits of custom Mobile app development. This type of programming handles asynchronous tasks, manages UI updates, and simplifies event-driven scenarios. Everything is crucial for tailored mobile applications.

   To assess this skill, evaluate candidates based on their understanding of Reactive programming. They must know concepts like streams, operators, observables, and observers. Moreover, check them with popular Reactive programming libraries like Kotlin and RxJava.

   Practical questions and coding exercises involve Reactive patterns in Android development. Here also asking the right questions will help you gauge the candidate’s proficiency in this area.

10. Continuous integration:

    CircleCI and Jenkins are important continuous integration tools. Developers can make their process of coding easy with the help of these tools. These tools automate building, testing, and deployment. Jenkins supports multithreading and CircleCI is good for parallelism. They make Android development workflows effective.

    Ask candidates; can you discuss your experience with setting up Continuous integration pipelines? Which tool did you use for continuous integration in your previous projects? If they have a good understanding of the basics of Continuous interaction then also you can consider them as they can learn more while working on the project.

Maximize Your App’s Potential: Hire an Experienced Android Developer

Experience means having enough knowledge of how to deal with different types of projects over time. If you manage to hire an experienced Android developer for your project, it can provide you with a customized and high-quality app. It maximizes your app’s potential. Let’s find out how.

• Experienced developers bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.
• Since they have worked on various projects, they can easily figure out problems in the approach and resolve them.
• Encountering different challenges hones the skills of developers over time. It makes them experts.
• They can navigate complex problems efficiently and provide you with innovative solutions to optimize the app’s performance.
• They often have a deep understanding of the best practices and industry standards. They know how to write clean and maintainable code.
• They also ensure the app is built on a scalable platform with the right tools and technologies.

Conclusion

Finding a skilled Android developer can become an easy task for you if you know the right approach. Consider the skills mentioned in the blog while finding the right developers. It will help you immensely to find skilled developers

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