Google’s Project IDX, aimed at making a web-based app development suite with AI perks, is now expanding to support Android and iOS development. The move is all about making things easier and tackling some of the challenges that developers have been dealing with.
Bringing an iOS simulator to the browser is a great step forward, especially for iOS development that usually ties developers to using a Mac. Project IDX, introduced as an early access program last year, packs a code editor, a remote terminal, templates, and a web preview into a user-friendly browser window.
Google spilled the beans, mentioning that their own developers have been using Project IDX internally to turbocharge development. This is big news for Flutter users because it means they can now test changes across Android, iOS, and web versions all at the same time.
The iOS simulation is tagged as “experimental,” so its features might be a bit limited initially. Nevertheless, it’s a major move in the right direction, saving developers from shelling out for a dedicated Mac, which can be a pricey choice for cross-platform developers on a smaller scale.
On top of getting support for the two mobile operating systems, Google says they’ve been listening to user feedback. Now, they’ve rolled out templates for Astro, Go, Python/Flask, Qwik, Lit, Preact, Solid.js, and Node.js as well.
Some other upgrades in the mix are automatic firewall setup, quick access to command-line tools, and better Docker support. Google has also widened its AI capabilities to 15 more countries, throwing in places like Brazil, Canada, India, and Singapore.
In the future, a post keeping tabs on features spills the beans that Google is seriously looking into expanding its AI tools to even more countries. Of course, that depends on dealing with all the legal and technical stuff.