Android Ampli Wrapper

Note

This page covers the Android Java and Kotlin runtimes. All (Itly) runtimes are deprecated. If you are still using an (Itly) runtime, see the migration guide to upgrade to the newest runtime. Docs for the Itly version are available here.

Amplitude Data supports tracking analytics events from Android apps written in Kotlin and Java.

In Kotlin and Java, the tracking library exposes a type-safe function for every event in your team’s tracking plan. The function’s arguments correspond to the event’s properties and are strongly typed to allow for code completion and compile-time checks.

Tip

See example apps that use the Android Java and Kotlin runtimes on GitHub.

Installation

These instructions are also available from the Implementation page of your Amplitude Data workspace.

Install the Ampli CLI

If you haven't installed the Ampli CLI, install it now.

Install dependencies

If you haven't already, install the core Amplitude SDK dependencies.

JavaKotlin

implementation 'com.amplitude:analytics-android:1.0.0'

implementation 'com.amplitude:analytics-android:1.0.0'

Note

If you're not already requesting the INTERNET permission, add <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> to your AndroidManifest.xml.

Pull the Wrapper into your project

At the project root, run pull command.

ampli pull

This prompts you to log in to your workspace and select a source.

JavaKotlin

➜ ampli pull sourcename
Ampli project is not initialized. No existing `ampli.json` configuration found.
? Create a new Ampli project here? Yes
Organization: Amplitude
Workspace: My Workspace
Source: sourcename
Runtime: Android / Java
Branch: main
Pulling latest version (1.0.0)...
Tracking library generated successfully.
Path: ./src/main/java/com/amplitude/ampli

➜ ampli pull sourcename
Ampli project is not initialized. No existing `ampli.json` configuration found.
? Create a new Ampli project here? Yes
Organization: Amplitude
Workspace: My Workspace
Source: sourcename
Runtime: Android / Kotlin
Branch: main
Pulling latest version (1.0.0)...
Tracking library generated successfully.
Path: ./src/main/java/com/amplitude/ampli

API

Load

Initialize Ampli in your code. The load() method accepts configuration option arguments:

JavaKotlin

import com.amplitude.ampli.*;

Ampli.getInstance().load(appContext, new LoadOptions()
  .setEnvironment(Ampli.Environment.PRODUCTION)
);

import com.amplitude.ampli.*

ampli.load(appContext, LoadOptions(
  environment = Ampli.Environment.PRODUCTION
));

Arg	Description
appContext	An object with a set of properties to add to every event sent by the Ampli Wrapper. This option is available when there is at least one source template associated with your team's tracking plan.
LoadOptions	Optional. Specifies configuration options for the Ampli Wrapper.
disabled	Optional. Specifies whether the Ampli Wrapper does any work. When true, all calls to the Ampli Wrapper are no-ops. Useful in local or development environments.
environment	Optional. Defaults to development. Specifies the environment the Ampli Wrapper runs in: either production or development. Environment determines which Access Token is used to load the underlying analytics provider libraries. The option also determines safe defaults for handling event validation errors. In production, when the Wrapper detects an invalid event, it logs an error but stills let the event through. In development, the Wrapper throws an exception to alert you that something is wrong.
client.instance	Optional. Specifies an Amplitude instance. By default Ampli creates an instance for you.
client.apiKey	Optional. Specifies an API Key. This option overrides the default, which is the API Key configured in your tracking plan.
client.configuration	Optional. Specifies the Amplitude configuration. This option overrides the default configuration.

Identify

Call identify() to identify a user in your app and associate all future events with their identity, or to set their properties.

Just as Ampli creates types for events and their properties, it creates types for user properties.

The identify() function accepts an optional userId, optional user properties, and optional options.

For example your tracking plan contains a user property called userProp. The property's type is a string.

JavaKotlin

Ampli.getInstance().identify(userId, Identify.builder()
  .userProp("A trait associated with this user")
  .build()
);

ampli.identify(userId, Identify(
    userProp = "A trait associated with this user"
))

The options argument allows you to pass Amplitude fields for this call, such as deviceId.

JavaKotlin

EventOptions eventOptions =  new EventOptions();
eventOptions.setDeviceId("deviceId");

Ampli.getInstance().identify(
  userId,
  Identify.builder().userProp("A trait associated with this user").build(),
  eventOptions
);

var eventOptions = EventOptions();
eventOptions.deviceId = "device-id";

ampli.identify(
  userId,
  Identify(
      userProp = "A trait associated with this user",
  ),
  eventOptions
)

Group Identify

Call groupIdentify() to identify a group in your app and set/update group properties.

Just as Ampli creates types for events and their properties, it creates types for group properties.

The groupIdentify() function accepts a string group_type, a string group_name, an Group event instance, and an optional EventOptions.

For example your tracking plan contains a group test group:android-java-ampli has a property called requiredBoolean with a boolean type.

JavaKotlin

Ampli.getInstance().groupIdentify("test group", "android-java-ampli", Group.builder()
    .requiredBoolean(true)
    .build()
);

ampli.groupIdentify("test group", "android-kotlin-ampli", Group(requiredBoolean = true))

Group

Feature availability

This feature is available in Growth and Enterprise accounts with the Accounts add-on.

Call setGroup() to associate a user with their group (for example, their department or company). The setGroup() function accepts a required groupType, and groupName and an optional EventOptions.

JavaKotlin

Ampli.getInstance().setGroup("groupType", "groupName");

ampli.setGroup("groupType", "groupName")

Amplitude supports assigning users to groups and performing queries, such as Count by Distinct, on those groups. If at least one member of the group has performed the specific event, then the count includes the group.

For example, you want to group your users based on what organization they're in by using an 'orgId'. Joe is in 'orgId' '10', and Sue is in 'orgId' '15'. Sue and Joe both perform a certain event. You can query their organizations in the Event Segmentation Chart.

When setting groups, define a groupType and groupName. In the previous example, 'orgId' is the groupType and '10' and '15' are the values for groupName. Another example of a groupType could be 'sport' with groupName values like 'tennis' and 'baseball'.

Setting a group also sets the groupType:groupName as a user property, and overwrites any existing groupName value set for that user's groupType, and the corresponding user property value. groupType is a string, and groupName can be either a string or an array of strings to indicate that a user is in multiple groups.

GroupType is a string, and groupName can be either a string or an array of strings to indicate that a user is in multiple groups. For example, if Joe is in 'orgId' '10' and '20', then the groupName is '[10, 20]').

Your code might look like this:

JavaKotlin

Ampli.getInstance().setGroup("orgID", new String[]{"10", "20"});

ampli.setGroup("orgId", arrayOf("10", "20"))

Track

To track an event, call the event's corresponding function. Every event in your tracking plan gets its own function in the Ampli Wrapper. The call is structured like this:

JavaKotlin

Ampli.getInstance().eventName(EventName event, EventOptions options)

ampli.eventName(...eventNameProperties)

The options argument allows you to pass Amplitude fields, like deviceID.

For example, in the code snippet below, your tracking plan contains an event called songPlayed. The event is defined with two required properties: songId and songFavorited. The property type for songId is string, and songFavorited is a boolean.

JavaKotlin

Ampli.getInstance().songPlayed(SongPlayed.builder()
  .songId("songId") // String
  .songFavorited(true) // Boolean
  .build()
);

ampli.songPlayed(
  songId = "songId", // String,
  songFavorited = true, // Boolean
)

Ampli also generates a class for each event.

JavaKotlin

SongPlayed event = SongPlayed.builder()
  .songId("songId") // String
  .songFavorited(true) // Boolean
  .build()

val myEventObject = SongPlayed(
  songId = "songId", // String,
  songFavorited = true, // Boolean
);

Send event objects using the generic track method.

JavaKotlin

EventOptions options = new EventOptions();
options.setUserId("user-id");

Ampli.getInstance().track(SongPlayed.builder()
    .songId("songId") // String
    .songFavorited(true) // Boolean
    .build(), options);

val options = EventOptions()
options.userId = "user_id"

ampli.track(SongPlayed(
  songId = "songId", // String
  songFavorited = true, // Boolean
  ), options);

Plugin

Plugins allow you to extend the Amplitude behavior, for example, modifying event properties (enrichment type) or sending to a third-party APIs (destination type).

First you need to define your plugin. Destination Plugin example:

JavaKotlin

public class SegmentDestinationPlugin extends DestinationPlugin {
    android.content.Context context;
    Analytics analytics;
    String SEGMENT_API_KEY;
    public SegmentDestinationPlugin(android.content.Context appContext, String segmentAPIKey) {
        this.context = appContext;
        this.SEGMENT_WRITE_KEY = segmentWriteKey;
    }
    @Override
    public void setup(Amplitude amplitude) {
        super.setup(amplitude);
        analytics = new Analytics.Builder(this.context, SEGMENT_API_KEY)
            .build();

        Analytics.setSingletonInstance(analytics);
    }

    @Override
    public BaseEvent track(BaseEvent event) {
        Properties properties = new Properties();
        for (Map.Entry<String,Object> entry : event.getEventProperties().entrySet()) {
            properties.putValue(entry.getKey(),entry.getValue());
        }
        analytics.track(event.eventType, properties);
        return event;
    }
}

class SegmentDestinationPlugin(appContext: Context, segmentApiKey: String) : DestinationPlugin() {
    var analytics: Analytics? = null;
    val context: Context = appContext;
    init {
        analytics = Analytics.Builder(appContext, segmentApiKey).build()
    }

    override fun track(event: BaseEvent): BaseEvent {
        val eventProperties =  Properties();
        event.eventProperties?.forEach { entry -> entry.value?.let {
            eventProperties.put(entry.key,
            it)
        } }

        analytics?.track(event.eventType, eventProperties);
        return event
    }
}

Add your plugin after init Ampli.

JavaKotlin

Ampli.getInstance().getClient().add(
    new YourDestinationPlugin(this, DESTINATION_API_KEY)
);

ampli.client?.add(
    YourDestinationPlugin(this, DESTINATION_API_KEY)
)

Verify implementation status

Verify that events are implemented in your code with the status command:

ampli status

To update the implementation status in your tracking plan use the --update flag or -u:

ampli status -u

The output displays status and indicates what events are missing.

➜ ampli status
✘ Verifying event tracking implementation in source code
 ✔ Song Played (1 location)
 ✘ Song Stopped Called when a user stops playing a song.
Events Tracked: 1 missed, 2 total

Learn more about ampli status.

Migrating from an Itly Android runtime

Migrate from an Itly Android runtime to Ampli by following these steps.

1. Remove legacy Itly dependencies from your project. This includes anything with a ly.iterative.itly.

   implementation "ly.iterative.itly:sdk-android:$itlySdkVersion"
   implementation "ly.iterative.itly:plugin-iteratively:$itlySdkVersion"
   implementation "ly.iterative.itly:plugin-schema-validator:$itlySdkVersion"
   implementation "ly.iterative.itly:plugin-amplitude-android:$itlySdkVersion"
   implementation "ly.iterative.itly:plugin-mixpanel-android:$itlySdkVersion"
   implementation "ly.iterative.itly:plugin-mparticle-android:$itlySdkVersion"
   implementation "ly.iterative.itly:plugin-segment-android:$itlySdkVersion"
   

2. Add Amplitude dependencies.

   implementation 'com.amplitude:analytics-android:1.0.0'
   

3. Pull the latest Ampli Wrapper.

   ampli pull
   

4. Check your Ampli Wrapper path. ampli pull prints the location of where the new wrapper was downloaded. If this still contains itly you can update the Path by hand in the ampli.json file, or pull again using the --path parameter: ampli pull -p ./path/to/ampli.

5. Find and replace:

   Kotlin and Java: - import ly.iterative.itly.* => import com.amplitude.ampli.* - itly. => ampli. - itly.group(groupId) => ampli.setGroup(groupType, groupValue)

   Kotlin only:

   • Itly.load() => ampli.load()
   • Itly. => ampli.

   Java only:

   • Itly.getInstance().load() => Ampli.getInstance().load()
   • Itly. => Ampli.

6. See updated Event tracking details on your Implementation page in the web app.

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Last update: 2022-07-19