6 Reasons Google IO Is a Must-Attend Event for Mobile and Web Developers

In the world of web and mobile app development, it's impossible to stay stagnant. Android alone releases a major system update every year, and that's before even counting the various bug fixes and minor updates that keep the mobile operating system humming along smoothly. 

Within that environment, events like Google IO become crucial for developers to attend for a wide range of reasons. Custom mobile app developers, especially, can benefit from the knowledge, insights, and inspiration gained at the event, though any developer building on a Google-owned system can reap similar rewards for their own projects and aspirations.

Of course, it's also a major event to attend, especially for those not local to the conference's location in Mountain View, California. But virtual attendance opportunities have eased the process of attending, allowing developers of any type and shape to reap the rewards of attendance. Let's dive into the nuances of this conference and why attendance is so crucial for mobile and web developers.

First Things First: What, Exactly, is Google IO?

It's Google's annual developer's conference. Google IO is the biggest event of the year for the software giant and the place where it reveals its newest product updates, news, products, and innovations. 

Why does Google call its largest event of the year I/O? As it turns out, there are actually a few explanations that all are at least partially true:

• I/O stands for input/output, or a computer system interacting with the outside world.
• I/O also stands for innovation in the open, as Google uses it to spotlight future innovation (AI was a big topic this year) and breakthrough features.
• I/O also references a googol, the number on which Google's name is based. It's a one followed by 100 zero, and I/O stands for the first one and the first zero in that sequence.

That might sound confusing, but the fact that there is no single meaning behind the name is actually quite fitting. After all, there is no single event, speech, or workshop that everyone participates in.

Instead, attendees get inspired by keynote sessions, participate in hands-on workshops, interface with Google engineers and other developers, and more. Since 2021, a parallel virtual track allows developers from all over the world to follow along and participate. It's what has made Google I/O such a seminal event in the industry, and it’s also why there are so many reasons this is a must-attend event. Here are 6 reasons to be sure you make the next Google I/O conference.

Reason #1: Learn About The Latest Google and Android Developments

First, and perhaps most importantly, Google uses its I/O conference to share all the most important news concerning both current products and future product updates with developers and the general public. For example, a list of the top announcements and takeaways from the 2023 edition this May included:

• Bard, an AI chatbot designed to rival and surpass ChatGPT that integrates with products like Google Docs and includes visual search options.
• AI-powered outputs within Google search results, promising to provide more relevant and personalized search experiences for users.
• Perspectives, a tool designed to bring human experiences and social proof into search results to more closely mirror in-person experiences.
• Pixel Fold, a new foldable smartphone that includes screens on both the outside and inside when folded and unfolded.
• Increased data security in the new Android 14, providing clearer insights for users on how third-party sites and apps are storing their data.
• Increased support for external devices, like wearables and Google Auto to create more comprehensive, cross-channel experiences.

Every one of these insights, not to mention some of the many others shared in keynotes and individual sessions, changes the way we think about app development. New AI functionality, integrations, hardware, and data collection processes all have to be considered in terms of both functionality and user experience. Learning about it as it happens can significantly improve the development process.

Reason #2: Gain Direct Access to Google Engineers and Developers

The first benefit is especially relevant because of what follows. This is a conference in which Google developers and engineers are readily available to lead workshops, dive deep into product features, and answer questions developers might have about these new features and developments. 

At Google IO, any attendee can interact and engage directly with the people who make product updates and announcements like those above happen. Core specialists offer office hours in which anyone can participate, allowing attendees to ask questions and interact with both the developers and each other.

That's not just a benefit for building new web and mobile apps. Many of the smaller announcements at Google I/O are smaller and more incremental in nature, allowing developers to understand coming changes that may impact their existing apps, as well. Those insights, in other words, can make a major difference when looking to maintain and update your app over time. 

Related: 10 Reasons Why Mobile App Maintenance is Important

This access to engineers and the people behind the major announcements is relatively unique to both Google and this event. It's not often that developers can chat directly with the brains behind the changes they will implement in their own products, with technology companies typically holding their staff relatively close to the vest. It's another reason why attendance can be so beneficial for custom app developers. 

Reason #3: Participate in Hands-On Sessions and Workshops

Google I/O is the event where the often-stated developer advocacy that the tech giant preaches fully shines through. This is an event designed to empower custom Android app developers and other members of the development community to run with the conviction that better apps built on Google platforms will ultimately benefit everyone involved.

As a result, this is a conference that's as much about learning and improving as it is about flashy new product announcements. Attendees can learn and improve their expertise in any topic related to app development, machine learning, search engine (and app store) optimization, and more. Four types of sessions exemplify this hands-on approach:

• Demos that showcase new or underused product features across Google properties, like Google Wallet, 3D Map Tiles, and more.
• Technical sessions that focus on in-depth topics developers care about, like accessibility through material design, deep linking, on-device machine learning, Android camera experiences, and more.
• Workshops that allow developers to build components and platforms together, ranging from building a data layer to implementing image data classifications.
• Codelabs that act as guided, on-demand coding experiences for topics and skills like Android Paging basics, animations and transitions, messaging APIs, and wearable operating systems.

In these sessions, developers can both enhance their current abilities and prepare for the future of core Google properties like Android. While the live sessions tend to be reserved for in-person attendees, virtual participants can review and engage with the material through on-demand capabilities in the above links.

Reason #4: Get Inspired by Visionary Keynote Speakers

From Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai to leading executives at the tech giant, the company chooses its keynote speakers wisely for its largest conference. Keynotes are designed to provide a high-level overview of not just where the company stands right now, but where its future and the future of technology is heading more generally.

In addition to key product announcements, these keynotes are about a larger vision. You might hear about how artificial intelligence will impact daily life in the future, or how new technologies may change the way we work. 

Related: How to Develop an App Idea: A Step-by-Step Guide

Above all, this type of topic becomes an inspiration. You'll feel empowered to build your own apps and products designed to drive toward that future. It's not unheard of to come away from a Google I/O keynote with a creativity that just might inspire your next app idea.

Reason #5: Network With Like-Minded Mobile and App Developers

Especially for developers traveling to California to attend in person, Google I/O might be the best networking opportunity for anyone building on Android systems. Here, more than 7,000 employees come together, all sharing the same mindset and expertise and looking to exchange their ideas to build on concept or just do some brainstorming.

Part of how Google I/O accomplishes that mindset is through a physical manifestation of its developer community groups. Everyone who has ever built something knows how powerful it can be to just be in a room together with likeminded professionals and run ideas past each other. This is that concept, but magnified tenfold.

Here, you can do it not just with the best minds in the industry, in an inspiring environment that also happens to be the epicenter of what's new and coming soon on the technology foundation of your work. Few opportunities are this tailor-made to connect with others who think like you do.

Best of all, these networking opportunities are increasingly diverse. You'll find startup founders, individual developers, and representatives of larger development companies all in the same space. All share Google-specific expertise and a thirst to learn more, creating environments ripe for collaboration or future working relationships in the process.

Reason #6: Leverage Connections With Custom Developers Into a Better Mobile App

Finally, the above-mentioned development opportunities can also help custom mobile developers in their own development process. At this event, potential competitors turn into like-minded system experts that don't mind sharing their expertise with each other.

That, in turn, allows you to run ideas or concepts, or even development approaches past others working in the same industries or platforms. Similarly, you can find answers to common issues you run into, or use your conversations to improve your agile processes and more.

Google I/O for Better App Building

Ultimately, these connections can and likely will result in better mobile app building. Expertise can be applied immediately, especially when interfacing with custom developers who are used to applying Google's new developments and product updates rather than simply updating a template.

That's what makes Google I/O such an important event for us, and it's also another reason why we believe in the quality of the apps we produce. We derive our mobile app development expertise from not just our own experience, but also events like this. Ready to see how we can help you? Get in touch with Milo Mobie for a free consultation to start the conversation today.

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