In short: Android users need and want more socially impactful apps, Google told developers earlier this week, having also released a study illustrating that phenomenon. The infographic below summarizes the main takeaways from the survey, identifying access to health resources, personal safety issues, and fundraising as the three most common social impact needs that Android users experienced at least once. The Mountain View, California-based technology juggernaut also released a short video on how Android developers can make a difference with its platform and the Google Play Store marketplace, encouraging the industry to partake in such activities moving forward.
Background: Google is no stranger to using technology in order to promote social consciousness, though the company has been ramping up its efforts to do so in recent years. Even a number of its consumer-grade products such as Android Go and Google Cardboard have been primarily envisioned as helping some of the most financially challenged individuals in the world experience contemporary technologies. To date, Google launched products and services meant to support education, healthcare, Internet connectivity, emergency responses, and a broad range of other segments traditionally associated with the quality of being socially impactful. The Alphabet-owned firm is now calling third-party developers to follow suit en masse and help make the world a better place while simultaneously contributing to Android’s sustainable growth.
Impact: By positioning the Android ecosystem as a tech vehicle for social change, Google is not only promoting it right now but building it for the next decade and beyond. By nearly every definition, the Android platform has been a massive success for years now and is already the most popular operating system on the planet, so while it’s still in the process of diversification, Google is now also thinking about it in non-technical terms, reminding developers why their work matters even outside of the ever-lasting hunt for profits.