How to install plugins in Android Studio

Some times little but important things like how to install a plugin can just skip ones memory or better still beginners might be trying out a tutorial and wondering, how can a plugin be installed on Android Studio. This article will address that concisely. Follow along as we walk through.

For someone who does not know what a plugin is, here is a simple definition. A plugin is a feature specific component added to a program such as an IDE (in this case Android Studio). A plugin is usually designed to augment for some specific features that a program did not originally come with. This helps in increasing the developers efficiency. Examples of plugins include the kotlin plugin for Android Studio 2.3.3, the android parcelable code generator plugin, Android Material Design Icon generator, Butterknife Zelezny, and so many others.

Now let’s go into the business of the day. It is assumed you have Android Studio (for this article I am using version 2.3.3) installed properly on your machine and internet connection. Follow the steps outlined below.

1. Run Android Studio. You might need to create a sample demo app just to fully allow the plugin install. You can also open an existing project.
2. Click on the File menu or use Alt + F to access the file menu. And then click on Settings as shown below.

Click on Settings on Android Studio File Menu

The Settings Window can also be accessed directly using Ctrl + Alt + S .

3. On the Settings window, Click on the Plugins tab on the side menu. There are three buttons below the list of installed plugins displayed. The first is meant for installing JetBrains plugins, the second is for installing plugins in repositories other than that of JetBrains while the last is to install a plugin that has already been downloaded to your local disk. Click one of the buttons that fall in the most suitable category.

Settings Window

4. On Browse plugins window that is opened, type in the name of the plugin to be installed on the search text field and click the green Install button on the right hand side. After the installation is complete, click the Close button just at the bottom right hand corner.

Browse Plugins Window

5. On the Settings window you can search for the plugin to confirm the installation and click the Ok button.

After these brief steps, you have your plugin installed and functional on Android Studio.

Quite simple right? That’s it.