Android is an extraordinary platform useful for developers for different reasons. It has a large user base, a useful (and noisy) community and provides you with all the tools for creating content for free. About content creation, the Android Software Development Kit or Android SDK is all you need to start building your apps and games. Are interested? Today we will tell you how to install the Android SDK.
How to install Android SDK and create apps and games
First of all, the tools for Android developers are available in two versions: Android Studio and SDK tools. If you want to use a different IDE (integrated development environment), you only need the SDK. If you’re new to Android development and have no idea what I’m talking about, we recommend that you download Android Studio for the most complete configuration, suitable for beginners.
Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, so Google spent a lot of time developing it to make it as easy as possible. This is where the Android software development kit comes into play. There are several ways to download the Android SDK and some necessary prerequisites before you can begin development. Let’s begin.
Prerequisites
First you need the Java SE Development Kit (JDK) to be installed on your PC, you can download it here. Install it before starting the installation of Android SDK, otherwise you will be asked to do so when you start installing Android Studio.
As for the operating system, almost all operating systems will work, including x86 (32 bit) and x86_64 (64 bit) systems with Windows and Linux and Intel x86_64 based Macs. Google has gone to great lengths to make sure everything works properly on any system, so this should not be a problem.
How to install Android SDK with simplicity
Google has released an all-in-one developer program that includes a complete IDE, a virtual machine manager and, of course, the Android SDK. This is the simplest and most likely the best way to use the Android SDK. All you have to do is download Android Studio from here and follow the instructions on the screen.
How to install Android SDK
- Go to the Android developer tools page.
- Hit the green “download Android Studio” button.
- Read the terms and conditions in the window that opens, check the box below and click on Download.
- When the Android Studio package finishes downloading, go to the file path and double-click the .exe file to run it. You may see a security warning, go ahead.
- The Android Studio setup wizard will start, follow the instructions on the screen. (Or press “next” until it says “install”.)
- Tap on “install” when prompted and the Android SDK will begin installation on your computer. This may take a few minutes.
- Click on “finish” and the Android SDK will start.
If this is the first time you start the Android SDK, you may need to download some additional components. This will happen automatically, but the process may take several minutes.
Click on Finish again, now you are ready to “start a new project with Android Studio”. However, we recommend that you read the documents and instructions before you begin, as well as review the tutorials in this Android introduction. Development for Android is not an easy task and will require a lot of learning.