Cyril Mottier

Instant Apps Eulogy at droidcon New York 2025

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 16:18:29 +0200

Back in June, Benoît Quenaudon and I gave a talk called “Instant Apps Eulogy” at droidcon New York. Here was the abstract.

Last year we asked ourselves a question. One that most Android engineers avoid whispering aloud: Are Instant Apps still a thing? It turns out that Google officially said no! Instant Apps are fascinating because they offer possibilities outside of what Google originally engineered them for.

Benoît (Cash App) and Cyril (amo), both of us shipped an Instant App this year for different use cases and different implementations. The restrictions required to publish an Instant App encourage dynamic, lean and performant architectures. Savoir-faire which stays relevant even outside the context of Instant Apps.

Back to the 2000s: cyrilmottier.com

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:03:55 +0200

I recently revamped my personal website for several reasons: to achieve a more modern design, switch to a faster website generator (Hugo instead of Octopress), and remove outdated articles, some of which were written in the 2000s!

However, many followers on social media have asked to bring back the old version of cyrilmottier.com, expressing both nostalgia and a genuine appreciation for the older content.

While working on bringing this content back, I realized they were right in many ways. Thanks to them for pushing me to do this. It’s so fun to still be able to read about mobile release management back in 2014, why splash screens ~~were~~ are evil or how Dart is going to shape the future of Android 😂.

Building Scalable Mobile Projects at Android Makers 2025

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 10:37:01 +0200

Edit - Aug 4: adding link to the video on YouTube

I recently gave a keynote called “Building Scalable Mobile Projects: Fast Builds, High Reusability and Clear Ownership” at Android Makers 2025 in Paris. Here was the abstract.

Every successful project eventually faces the challenges of scaling: an ever-growing codebase, an increasing number of contributors, and rising complexity. Without proper measures, this can lead to slow build times, a cluttered codebase, maintenance difficulties, code duplication, and even dead code—ultimately jeopardizing the company’s ability to deliver value.

Bump’s Journey into Delightful Experiences on Android

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 08:44:53 +0100

This article was initially published as on the official Android Developers blog. As the original author and for the sake of readability and long-term availability, it is now available.

At amo, we are redefining what it means to build social applications. Our mission is to create a new kind of social company, one that prioritizes high-quality, thoughtfully designed mobile experiences. One of our flagship applications, Bump, puts your friends on the map — whether you’re checking in on your crew or making moves to meet up.

The Making of a Scalable URL Shortener

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:57:54 +0100

This article was initially published as a thread of posts on X. For the sake of readability and long-term availability, it is now available here as a single-page article.

Post 1

A few months ago, I built a custom URL shortener. Quick refresher: a URL shortener does two things:

Creates short URLs that map to long URLs
Redirects short URL requests to those long URLs.

Designing this was a fantastic engineering challenge. Here’s a look at my design process!

About

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 14:33:31 +0100

My name is Cyril Mottier, and I am an accomplished engineering leader with a diverse background in consumer-focused technology. Throughout my career, I have contributed to a variety of industries, including festivals, transportation, social networks, and marketplaces. Notably, I have been part of innovative and successful companies such as Captain Train (acquired by Trainline), and Zenly (acquired by Snap). I am currently leading engineering team at amo where we build the future of social apps.

Engineering Real-Time Animated Profile Pictures

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 14:21:47 +0100

This article was initially published as a thread of posts on X. For the sake of readability and long-term availability, it is now available here as a single-page article.

Post 1

In the amo apps, profile pictures are done a bit differently. You record “Your Face”, a transparent animated boomerang-like cutout. It feels more personal. You see your friends come to life on-screen, not through overly curated or filtered camera roll photos.