Making your first Android App (No Headache Version) — Part 1
I was recently helping a friend getting started with Android development and figured the whole process can be helpful for so many other people. Lets go step by step. I am NOT covering:
- Emulators — We’ll test on an actual phone. Emulators are a real pain to setup, but a lifesaver when setup properly. Once you are comfortable with testing on phone, you can try emulators yourself (and better yet, post a no headache tutorial for setting up emulators!).
1. Download Android Studio
Simple, straightforward : Android Studio
2. Start a new Android project
3. Name your app
4. Let’s breeze through the wizard
Select just phone and tablet version with minimum api level 16 (Android 4.1). Next, select an empty activity to begin with. We’ll go over what’s an activity soon. Let’s see this app on your phone first!
Press next and next and lets go!
5. Let’s meet your IDE
- Java Files
- XML File (These define how things show and align in your app)
- Java code for your app
- Terminal
- Android Monitor to check for logs, errors and see what is up on your device
6. Enable developer options on your phone
Open Settings > About. Now keep tapping the build number. Keep tapping till you see some message (“You are X steps from being a developer”) appear and then disappear. Then go back and go to “Developer Options” in the main settings menu and allow USB debugging.
7. Connect your phone
While Android Studio is running, connect your phone using the USB cable and allow your computer for USB debugging. Make sure to select “Always allow from this computer”
8. Run the app!
In Android Studio, click Run > Run ‘app’ from the menu. Then select your phone and wait till Studio compiles and makes and APK for the app and installs it on your device. You will see your first app on success.
Part 2 is coming up soon! You can start tinkering around the Java file and XML if you hate to wait :)
