5 Opportunities for iGaming Operators from Android 13
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On 15th August this year, Google released their highly anticipated annual Android operating system update, Android 13. Following the historical tradition of dessert themed naming conventions, this release has a codename of “Tiramisu”.
So, what can we look forward to in Android 13? Let’s take a look at some of the new additions that form part of this new release.
1. Push Notification Permissions
In Android 13, Google are making notifications opt in, rather than opt out, bringing it in line with the standard iOS behaviour. Users will see the familiar Android permissions prompt when deciding whether to allow notifications or not.
Developers are encouraged to show the permissions prompt in context. This update presents iGaming operators with the opportunity to explain why your notifications are useful, how they can enhance the player experience and outline the kind of notifications they will receive – improving overall user experience. Saying that, this permission pop-up only appears if users start from a fresh install.
This behaviour change is part of a drive towards empowering Android users to have more control of how applications work on their device and improving user experience. This is good news for iGaming operators, as an improved UX ultimately means increased player engagement.
2 & 3. Security and Privacy Updates
Improvements to security and privacy are always hot topics when it comes to operating system updates and can often be a primary reason for users to perform an update. There are a couple of key updates here that iGaming operators should be aware of:
Advertising ID Permission
Devices that support Google Play Services have a unique advertising ID, which can be used by applications for personalised advertisements and other functionality such as analytics. Once applications begin to target Android 13, they will need to declare a new permission to gain access to this ID. If the permission is not declared, the app will simply receive a set of zeros instead of the real identifier.
Location from Wi-Fi
In older versions of Android, information relating to a users’ location could be derived from the Wi-Fi APIs. Now any apps targeting Android 13 must assert in code that if they use the “NEARBY_WIFI_DEVICES” permission, that they will never use this data to gather physical location information. If the app is found to be accessing this data without the relevant permission, a security exception will occur, which will likely lead to the app crashing.
It's important for operators to ensure these updates are working correctly in order to maintain a positive player experience.
4. Dedicated QR Code Scanner
QR codes are becoming more and more commonplace and offer an incredibly convenient way for operators to lead their app users to a specific destination. Android 13 has considered this and now offers the option of a new Quick Settings tile. Accessible from the notification shade, this will open a dedicated QR code scanner.
This is another great opportunity for iGaming operators. It means you can more effectively link between bricks-and-mortar and digital. Placing QR codes around shops and casinos to take users directly to your app or download. It also offers the opportunity for marketing providing players with quick access to personalised promotions and deals. Again, this update supports overall user experience and allows operators to improve their current Android offerings.
5. Per-app language preferences
This new functionality is a real game changer for multilingual users. In Android 13, users will have the flexibility to configure different apps to use various languages by default, offering a far more tailored experience.
This update marks another opportunity for iGaming operators to provide a personalised, improved experience for players. Users can now access your content, games etc. in their preferred language making the overall experience more comfortable. For those operators running iGaming apps across jurisdictions and various countries, this is certainly a great benefit.
It's worth noting that Android 13 doesn’t present huge changes to iGaming operators or users. However, these new additions demonstrate a drive towards putting more control in the hands of the user, with enhanced security and privacy being a core theme. So, we can expect to see more of this from future Android updates.
mkodo has over 20 years of experience in iGaming and keeps our current clients ahead of the curve through expert design and development. Contact us today for more information around how we can support you.
