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[Update: iOS update] Google I/O 2019 app with AR navigation, Android dark mode

With Google I/O just 13 days away, the developer conference’s companion app has been updated for the 2019 edition. Available on Android, the Google I/O 2019 app will deliver alerts and provide directions for attendees, as well as a schedule with livestream links.

Since mid-April, attendees could use the site and Progressive Web App to reserve seats at sessions. The Android client provides a smoother and more native experience. It features a useful map to find the various tents and installations at the Shoreline Amphitheatre and surrounding converted parking lots. The app also lets conference-goers save the Wi-Fi network ahead of time.

Compared to previous years, the app lacks a bottom bar and instead houses sections in the navigation drawer. It makes heavy use of the Google Material Theme with sessions on the Home screen represented as cards with thin gray outlines. This main view currently includes the countdown clock, a carousel of upcoming events, and announcements.

Other sections in the app includes Schedule, Agenda, and Codelabs, with Info and Settings rounding out navigation. Like the company’s other apps there is a dark mode that can be activated by enabling the Battery Saver.

New this year is an AR navigation feature called “Explore I/O.” Likely similar to Google Maps, attendees will be able to “see where to go in augmented reality.” It’s only available for those at the conference, and powered by AR Core.

Other features include:

  • Explore the conference schedule, with details on topics and speakers
  • Save events to Schedule, your personalized schedule
  • Get reminders before events you’ve saved in Schedule start
  • Sync your custom schedule between all of your devices and the I/O website
  • Guide yourself using the vector-based conference map
  • Opt-in to receive important notifications about the event, schedule, travel, after hours, session recordings and
  • more

The conference runs from May 7-9th with the main keynote featuring Sundar Pichai kicking off on Tuesday at 10AM. The Google I/O 2019 app is still rolling out on Android via the Play Store.

Update 5/2: Google I/O for iOS was just updated today ahead of next week’s developer conference. Coming eight days after the Android release, the iPhone app sticks to a bottom bar with tabs for Home, Schedule, Explore I/O, Map, and More, which slides up a bottom sheet. The AR feature will be available on iOS, while the venue map is already live. However, there is no dark mode.

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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com