How to Install Android SDK Tools in Android Studio

Android SDK tools are essential components for developing Android applications. They provide the necessary environment to compile, debug, and test your apps. This guide will walk you through the process of installing and managing these tools within Android Studio, ensuring you have everything you need for a smooth development experience.

Android Studio, the official Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Android development, simplifies the process of managing the Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK includes tools like the Android Emulator, system images, and platform tools, all crucial for building and running your Android applications.

Understanding Android SDK Tools

The Android SDK tools are a collection of components that enable you to develop applications for the Android platform. Key components include:

Android Emulator: A virtual device emulator based on QEMU. This allows you to test and debug your applications without needing a physical Android device. It provides a real Android runtime environment directly on your development machine. For detailed information, you can refer to the Emulator release notes.
System Images: These are required to run the Android Emulator. They represent specific Android versions (API levels) and device configurations. You can choose system images based on Intel or ARM architectures, depending on your computer’s processor.
Google Play Services: This package includes libraries and APIs that allow you to integrate Google services like Maps, Location, and more into your applications. If you plan to use Google Play Services APIs, you’ll need to use a system image that includes either “Google APIs” or “Google Play.”

It’s worth noting that many libraries previously found in the Support Repository (like Android Support Library, Constraint Layout, and Firebase) are now available through Google’s Maven repository. Projects created in Android Studio 3.0 and later automatically include this repository. For older projects, you’ll need to manually add Google’s Maven repository to your build.gradle or build.gradle.kts files as documented in add Google’s Maven repository.

Installing SDK Tools via the SDK Manager

Android Studio’s SDK Manager is the primary tool for installing, updating, and managing your Android SDK tools and related packages. Here’s how to use it:

Open the SDK Manager: In Android Studio, navigate to Tools > SDK Manager. This will open the “SDK Manager” window, displaying various SDK components available for installation.
SDK Platforms Tab: This tab lists different Android platform versions (e.g., Android 14, Android 13). Select the checkbox next to each Android version you want to develop for. Selecting a platform also allows you to download the corresponding system image and API level tools.
SDK Tools Tab: This tab lists various SDK tools, including:
- Android SDK Build-Tools: Essential tools for compiling and packaging your Android applications. It’s generally recommended to keep the latest stable version installed.
- Android Emulator: If not already installed, you can install or update the Android Emulator from here.
- Android SDK Platform-Tools: Tools like adb and fastboot that are crucial for interacting with Android devices and emulators.
- NDK (Side by side): Required if you are developing applications with native code (C/C++).
- CMake: Needed for building native libraries.
- Google Play services: Allows you to download and update the Google Play Services libraries.
Select the checkboxes next to the tools you wish to install or update.
Apply Changes: After selecting the desired platforms and tools, click Apply or OK at the bottom of the SDK Manager window. Android Studio will then download and install the selected components. You might be prompted to accept license agreements before the installation begins.

Adding and Managing SDK Update Sites

The SDK Manager also allows you to add custom SDK update sites. This is useful if you need to install SDK packages from third-party providers, such as device manufacturers or carriers, who might offer additional APIs or tools.

To add a new SDK update site:

Navigate to SDK Update Sites: In the SDK Manager window, click on the SDK Update Sites tab.
Add a New Site: Click the Add button, represented by a plus icon , at the top of the window.
Enter Site Details: A dialog will appear asking for the Name and URL of the third-party site. Enter the relevant information provided by the SDK vendor.
Enable the Site: Ensure the checkbox in the Enabled column for the newly added site is selected. This ensures Android Studio checks this site for updates.
Apply Changes: Click Apply or OK to save the changes. The SDK packages available from the newly added site should now appear in the SDK Platforms or SDK Tools tabs, as appropriate.

Auto-Downloading Missing SDK Packages with Gradle

Gradle, Android’s build system, can automatically download missing SDK packages that your project depends on during a build process. This feature streamlines development, especially when working in teams or across different machines.

For Gradle to auto-download packages, you must have already accepted the SDK license agreements in the SDK Manager. When you accept these agreements, Android Studio creates a licenses directory within your Android SDK home directory. This directory is crucial for Gradle’s auto-download functionality.

Sharing Licenses Across Machines:

If you’ve accepted licenses on one machine but need to build your project on another, you can easily transfer these licenses:

Locate SDK Location: On the machine with Android Studio and accepted licenses, go to Tools > SDK Manager. Note the Android SDK Location at the top of the window.
Find the Licenses Directory: Navigate to the SDK location in your file system and find the licenses/ directory. If you don’t see it, update your SDK tools in Android Studio and accept the licenses, then check again.
Copy Licenses: Copy the entire licenses/ directory.
Paste Licenses: On the target machine, navigate to its Android SDK home directory and paste the copied licenses/ directory there.

With the licenses in place, Gradle will automatically download any missing SDK packages required for your project when you build from the command line or within Android Studio.

Disabling Auto-Download:

This auto-download feature is automatically disabled for builds initiated from within Android Studio because the IDE itself manages SDK package downloads. To manually disable it for command-line builds, set android.builder.sdkDownload=false in your project’s gradle.properties file.

Updating SDK Tools via Command Line

In environments without a graphical user interface, such as Continuous Integration (CI) servers, you cannot use the SDK Manager. In such cases, the sdkmanager command-line tool is your solution for installing and updating SDK tools and platforms.

Using sdkmanager:

Open Command Line: Open your terminal or command prompt.
Navigate to tools/bin: Change directory to the tools/bin directory within your Android SDK installation.
Execute sdkmanager: Use the sdkmanager command followed by arguments to install or update packages. For example, to update all installed SDK tools and platforms, use:
```
sdkmanager --update
```
To install specific packages, you can use:
```
sdkmanager "package_path"
```
Replace "package_path" with the path of the package you want to install (e.g., "platform-tools", "platforms;android-33").

Accepting Licenses via Command Line:

After installing new SDK components using sdkmanager, you might need to accept their licenses. To do this, run:

sdkmanager --licenses

This command will scan your installed SDK components and prompt you to accept any pending licenses in your command line interface.

By following these steps, you can effectively install and manage your Android SDK tools, ensuring you have a robust and up-to-date development environment whether you prefer using the graphical SDK Manager or the command-line sdkmanager. Keeping your SDK tools updated is crucial for compatibility, accessing the latest features, and maintaining a secure development workflow.