Getting Started with Android Development: What You Need
Android runs on billions of phones and tablets, so learning to build apps for it is a useful skill. You do not need expensive equipment to start. Here is what you need and how to take your first steps.
What you need
- A computer that meets the system requirements listed on the official Android developer website. Check the current requirements there, because they change over time.
- Android Studio, the official free development environment from Google.
- An Android phone (optional), or the emulator that comes with Android Studio.
- Patience. The first setup downloads several large components.
Which language should you learn?
Google recommends Kotlin for new Android apps, and most current official tutorials use it. Java is still supported and you will see it in older projects. If you are new to programming, start with Kotlin.
Create your first project
- Install Android Studio from the official site and follow the setup wizard.
- Choose New Project and select a basic template.
- Give the app a name and a package name, and pick a minimum Android version.
- Wait while the project builds for the first time. This can take several minutes.
Run your app
You can run it in two ways:
- Emulator: a virtual phone on your computer. Create one in the Device Manager.
- Real phone: enable Developer options and USB debugging on your phone, connect it with a cable, and choose it as the run target.
Press the green Run button. After the build finishes, your app opens with the default screen.
Learn the building blocks
Modern Android apps use Jetpack Compose to build the screen, and older apps use XML layout files. You will meet these ideas early:
- Screens and UI elements such as text, buttons, and lists.
- Resources such as strings, colours, and images.
- Gradle, the tool that builds your app and manages libraries.
- The manifest, a file that describes your app to Android.
Where to go next
Work through the free official courses on the Android developer website, change one thing at a time, and run your app after each change. Build a very small app first, such as a counter or a to-do list, before attempting anything big.
Programming basics help a lot. Our JavaScript tutorial teaches concepts such as variables, conditions, and functions that carry over to Kotlin.
