APK development

2026-02-28

Development environment setup

Android Studio download

  • Official designated download address：
    Android Studio official download page
    Android Studio official download guide page
  • Version selection: Prioritize downloading the *stable version* recommended by the official. The official download page will recommend a suitable IDE version based on the current operating system (such as the currently recommended "Android Studio Otter 2 Feature Drop"). You need to select the corresponding installation package according to the operating system (Windows/macOS/Linux).
    Android Studio download guide page
  • If you are not used to the latest version, you can also find historical versions in the official download archives:
    Android Studio download guide page

Android Studio installation process

Windows system

  • Double-click the downloaded .exe installation package to launch the installation wizard;
  • Check "Agree to the license agreement" and click "Next";
  • Keep the default components (Android Studio + Android SDK), agree to all user agreements, and click "Next";
  • Select a non-system drive as the installation path (it is recommended to reserve ≥20GB of space) and click "Next";
  • After the installation is complete, click "Finish" to launch Android Studio.

macOS system

  • Open the downloaded .dmg image file;
  • Drag the "Android Studio" icon to the "Applications" folder to complete the installation;
  • Open Android Studio from the Launchpad, complete the system developer verification as prompted, and the subsequent installation steps are the same as above.

Linux system (taking the screenshot version as an example)

  • Decompressed the downloaded .tar.gz package to the target directory (e.g., /opt/): 
    tar -zxvf android-studio-2025.2.2.0-linux.tar.gz -C /opt/
  • Enter the bin directory of the decompressed folder and execute the studio.sh script to launch Android Studio; 
    cd /opt/android-studio/bin/
./studio.sh
  • The installation steps are the same as above.

Project creation

  • Launch Android Studio: Click "New Project". When selecting a template, it is recommended to choose the cleanest Empty Views Activity template.
    *Note: Selecting the "Empty Activity" template will generate a Compose UI project.*
    Android Studio project creation guide
    Android Studio project creation guide
  • Select language: Choose your development language here. Even if Kotlin is selected, Java can still be used within the project, as Android projects fully support mixed development with Java and Kotlin.
    Android Studio project creation guide
  • Download dependencies & SDK: After completing the steps above, Android Studio will automatically open the project and download Gradle along with necessary dependencies. If prompted with "Missing SDK" on first launch, click "Next" to automatically download the Android SDK. Confirm the installation path and wait for the download to finish. The build time depends on network conditions.
  • Build & run: Once the Gradle build is complete, you will enter the main project interface where basic demo code has been generated. If there are no errors and the green "Run" button at the top is active, the build is successful. Click the button to compile and start the emulator. Alternatively, use the adb connect command to run on a physical device.
    Android Studio project creation guide
  • Successful run: The application is now successfully running on the emulator, displaying a simple welcome screen. You are ready to start development.
    Android Studio project creation guide

APK debugging

APK packaging methods

  • Debug version: Clicking the green run button triggers Android Studio to compile, package, and install the the APK of Debug version (an emulator or physical device must be connected, otherwise a "no device" error will appear).
    The generated APK is located at: project file path/app/build/intermediates/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
    APP debugging guide
  • Release (signed) version / manual build: If no emulator is connected, or if you want to package a signed Release version APK, go to Build > Generate Signed App Bundle or APK in the top menu bar. Select "Android App Bundle" or "APK" as needed and click "Next". You will be asked to select a keystore file (.jks or .keystore); if you don't have one, we will create a new one.
  • Create keystore file: Name the keystore file (.jks by default) and choose a storage path.
    APP debugging guide
  • Set password: Set the password and Alias (customizable), then click OK to create it.
    APP debugging guide
  • Generate file: Select the "release" or "debug" build type. The system will use the current keystore file for packaging. The generated file is located in the project file path/app/release directory by default.

ADB tool environment configuration

ADB tool introduction

ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is the official Android debugging bridge tool provided by Google. It is one of the core tools for Android development and debugging. It facilitates a connection between a computer and an Android device (physical device or emulator) for operations such as debugging, file transfer, and command execution.

ADB environment variable configuration

For Android developers, the ADB tool is very commonly used. To facilitate its use, we can configure it into the system environment variables. First, find the path of the ADB tool on your operating system. Generally, the Android SDK will be automatically downloaded during project building, and the ADB tool is located in the path where your SDK is stored. Here, the path of our ADB tool is C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools

  • Under Windows environment:Add the platform-tools directory (e.g., C:\Users\your username\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\platform-tools) to the "Path" of the system environment variables.
    ADB configuration guide
  • Linux/macOS：Execute echo 'export PATH=$PATH:~/Android/Sdk/platform-tools' >> ~/.bashrc (or ~/.zshrc) in the terminal, then restart the terminal.
  • After configuration, execute adb in the terminal command line. If the output is normal, it means the configuration is successful.
    ADB configuration guide

Common ADB debugging commands

Basic commands
Command Function description
adb help View ADB help and version information
adb start-server Start the ADB service. Usually, it does not need to be executed manually; ADB commands will trigger it automatically
adb kill-server Stop the ADB service. It can be used to restart the service when connection exceptions occur
adb devices List all currently connected devices along with their serial numbers and statuses (device: connected; offline: no respond; no device: not connected)
adb version Display the ADB version number
Device connection management
Command Function description
adb connect <IP:port> Connect to device via network (Wi-Fi)
adb disconnect <IP:port> Disconnect wireless device
adb pair <IP:port> <pairing code> Pair with device to enable secure wireless debugging (Android 11+)
adb tcpip <port> Set device to listen for TCP/IP connections on specified port, preparing for wireless connection
adb usb Switch connection mode back to USB
Application management
Command Function description
adb install <apk path> Install application
adb install -r Overwrite existing application, retaining its data
adb install -t Allow installation of applications with android:testOnly="true"
adb install -d Allow version downgrade installation
adb install -g Grant all runtime permissions immediately after installation
adb install-multiple <apk1> <apk2> Install split APK (App Bundle)
adb -s <device serial number> install ... Specify target device for installation when multiple devices are connected
adb uninstall <package name> Uninstall application
adb uninstall -k <package name> Uninstall application but retain data and cache directories
View application information and applications interaction function
Command Function description
adb shell pm list packages List package names of all applications on device
adb shell pm list packages -3 List only third-party applications
adb shell pm list packages -s List only system applications
adb shell pm clear <package name> Clear application data and cache
adb shell am start -n <package name>/<Activity name> Start an Activity
adb shell am force-stop <package name> Force stop all processes and services of an application
File operations
Command Function description
adb pull <device path> <PC path> Copy files or directories from device to computer
adb push <PC path> <device path> Copy files or directories from computer to device
adb sync Synchronize and update specific partition data on device
System operations and information check
Command Function description
adb shell getprop ro.product.model View device model
adb shell wm size View screen resolution
adb shell wm density View screen density
adb shell dumpsys battery View battery status information
adb reboot Reboot device
adb reboot recovery Reboot to Recovery mode
adb root Restart adbd daemon with root privileges
adb shell input keyevent <keycode> Simulate key press (e.g., 3=HOME, 4=Back, 24=Volume+, 26=Power)
adb shell input tap <x> <y> Simulate a tap at screen coordinates
adb shell input swipe <x1> <y1> <x2> <y2> Simulate swipe gesture
adb shell input text <text> Input text (note: Chinese characters are not supported)
Log check
Command Function description
adb logcat View system logs
adb logcat -c Clear old logs
adb logcat -v time > log.txt Output logs with timestamps to file
adb logcat *:W Display only logs with Warning level and above
adb shell dmesg View kernel logs

APK debugging

Emulator debugging

Note: Generally, Android Studio creates a default emulator when you first run a project. If you need a device with a specific Android version or resolution, you must create it manually.
Steps:

  1. Locate and click Device Manager in the Android Studio toolbar.
  2. Click Create Virtual Device.
  3. Select the desired device configuration and click Next to finish.

Emulator configuration guide
Emulator configuration guide

Physical device debugging

USB connection configuration

Steps:

  1. Hardware connection: Connect your phone to the computer using a USB cable that supports data transfer.
  2. Enable developer mode:
    • Go to phone "Settings" -> "About Phone".
    • Tap "Build Number" 7 times continuously until you see the prompt "You are now a developer".
  3. Enable USB debugging:
    • Return to the Settings menu and find the new "Developer options" (Location varies by phone model, often under "System" or "Additional Settings").
    • Enter and enable "USB debugging".
    • Authorize if a prompt appears on the phone screen.

Device debug guide
Verification:
Enter adb devices in the terminal. If the device serial number appears and the status is device, the connection is successful.
Device debug guide

LAN connection

Wireless connectivity allows you to break free from cables, though typically you need to use a USB cable for the initial setup. Methods may vary depending on the Android versions.

  • Connection steps:
  1. Find the phone's current IP address (usually found in "Settings" -> "About Phone" or "Wi-Fi Settings").
  2. Enter the command adb connect <IP_Address> in the terminal.
  3. Verification: If the terminal prompts connected to ..., or if adb devices shows the device starting with an IP address and the status is device, the connection is successful.

Wireless connection guide