☀️⏰Make Your Angular App Fall-Ready with v20

Sure, it’s only July, but why not revamp your Angular app for the second half of the year? The newest version of Angular 20 comes with many big changes, some of which we will discuss today.

Signals

The most buzzworthy change in Angular 20? Signals. Inspired by reactive primitives from frameworks like Solid and Reactivity in Vue, Signals bring fine-grained reactivity to Angular in a new, declarative way.

Instead of relying solely on Observables and async pipes, you can now use Signals to track and respond to state changes in a more intuitive manner. With Signals:

• State becomes explicit and easy to reason about.
• Change detection becomes more performant, with granular updates.
• You get better control over side effects.

Here’s a basic example:

import { signal, computed } from '@angular/core';

const count = signal(0);
const doubled = computed(() => count() * 2);

count.set(1); // doubled now returns 2

For developers tired of debugging zone-related issues or writing excessive RxJS boilerplate, Signals offer a welcome alternative.

New Syntax for Structural Directives

Angular 20 introduces a sleek new syntax for structural directives. Instead of the classic asterisk (*ngIf, *ngFor, etc.), you can now use a function-like, cleaner syntax that boosts readability and aligns Angular closer to modern frontend trends.

Here’s a comparison:

Before:

<div *ngIf="isVisible">Hello!</div>

Now:

@for (item of items; track item.id) {
  <div>{{ item.name }}</div>
}

Or:

@if (isVisible) {
  <div>Hello!</div>
}

This new syntax reduces cognitive load and provides a more predictable, block-scoped feel, which is especially helpful in complex templates.

ngModule Update

Angular v20 continues the path toward module simplification.

With Standalone Components gaining traction since v14, Angular 20 goes further by de-emphasizing the need for Module files in many cases. While NgModules aren’t gone, they’re now optional in most modern Angular applications, a major win for new developers and those looking to reduce boilerplate.

You can now write components like this:

@Component({
  standalone: true,
  selector: 'app-profile',
  templateUrl: './profile.component.html',
  imports: [CommonModule],
})
export class ProfileComponent {}

This shift encourages modular, composable app architecture and simplifies testing and maintenance.

Improved Inline Templates

If you’re tired of switching between .html and .ts files during component development, Angular 20 introduces better tooling and support for inline templates and styles.

The improved inline template system isn’t just about writing everything in one file, it’s also about improved IDE tooling, faster prototyping, and better alignment with modern single-file component workflows.

@Component({
  standalone: true,
  selector: 'app-inline',
  template: `
    <section>
      <h2>Hello, Inline World!</h2>
    </section>
  `,
  styles: [`
    h2 {
      color: darkorange;
    }
  `]
})
export class InlineComponent {}

This is a great fit for smaller components or design systems where self-containment improves clarity.

Conclusion

Angular v20 is more than just a version bump. It’s a pivot toward simplicity, modern reactivity, and developer-friendly ergonomics. With Signals, a smarter syntax for templates, and continued progress on standalone components, now’s the perfect time to prep your app for the rest of the year.

So get started on refactoring a few modules, and get your Angular app fall-ready. Happy Coding!