When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn 
With Meta’s open store transition now completed, Android developers should find building for Meta’s platforms easier than ever.
According to Mark Rabkin, Meta’s VP of Horizon OS and Quest XR devices, “If you can build for Android, you can build for Meta Horizon OS in your favorite language, your favorite IDE.”
Horizon OS has added several features for 2D apps, including resizing, handling controller and hand input, spatial audio, theater, background running, and multitasking. There’s also a new spatial editor so devs can add 3D spatial video and panoramas to their apps.
New SDKs and tools will also make it possible to port existing mobile apps, and devs can use tools they’re familiar with to bring their apps to Horizon OS.
Meta built new Instagram and Facebook apps for Horizon OS to test the new technology, using tools like React Native. Developers, including Twitch and Amazon, have also tested the system.
Developers Found Building Apps for Meta’s Platforms Difficult
Until now, developers have complained that building apps for Meta’s platforms is challenging. Meta has tackled the problem head-on and says these new tools and features address developer complaints, making it easier for them to build for Horizon OS and use Meta’s open-source AI tools.
Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, apologized to developers and recognized that it hasn’t been easy to develop for the brand’s platforms, blaming the “constant state of change” of Meta’s ecosystems.
While it might seem like an entirely altruistic move, Meta stands to benefit from this more open approach. Like Google and Apple, it will take a cut of any in-app purchases and sales.
