Foldable smartphones have come a long way, but software doesn’t always keep up with hardware innovation. With the arrival of newer form factors—specifically what Google classifies as “ultra-wide foldables”—the tech giant is calling on Android app developers to adapt their software for unique screen ratios, with devices like the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 in mind.
In a recent technical guidance post, Google urged developers to abandon legacy assumptions about fixed screen sizes and portrait orientations.
Building fluid layouts and fixing camera glitches
Devices with wider inner screens require fluid user interfaces that automatically adjust when users open, close, or rotate their displays. To help app makers adapt, Google is highlighting tools within its Jetpack Window Manager library. Rather than designing for a specific phone size, developers need to leverage Window Size Classes to calculate the exact, real-time screen space an application occupies (via 9to5Google).
This step is key during multi-window multitasking or split-screen modes, where an app only uses a fraction of the physical display.
Google also addressed common visual bugs on foldables, especially around the camera preview feeds. Apps that assume a fixed portrait mode often display stretched, cropped, or sideways video feeds when unfolded. Now, apps can use the updated CameraX frameworks to seamlessly detect hinge posture and camera orientation changes during live folding transitions.
Under-the-hood upgrades and new ecosystem tech
Along with the UI guidelines, Google also confirmed a number of underlying platform updates tied to recent hardware launches. The latest generation of ultra-wide foldables also brought Gemini Nano 4, an update to on-device AI processing directly on mobile hardware.
Additionally, Google reiterated recent Wear OS optimizations designed to streamline companion smartwatch connectivity alongside new mobile hardware.
