How to Set Up Android Studio Step by Step (2026)

On this page

Before you install: system requirements
Step-by-step installation
Create and run your first project
Set up an emulator
Run on a physical phone
Recommended settings for beginners
Troubleshooting common setup errors
Setups for different situations
Frequently asked questions
Conclusion

Many beginners lose their first weekend to setup problems: a Gradle sync that never finishes, an emulator that won't start, a phone that Android Studio can't see. None of these mean Android is too hard. They're configuration issues with known fixes.

This guide walks you through a clean installation on Windows, macOS or Linux, explains what each component is for, and covers the errors you're most likely to meet.

Before you install: system requirements

Google publishes the official minimum requirements on the install page. In practice:

RAM: 16 GB makes Android Studio plus the emulator comfortable. With 8 GB, prefer a physical phone over the emulator.
Disk: an SSD with plenty of free space. The SDK, system images and Gradle caches grow over time.
CPU: a 64-bit processor with virtualisation support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V, enabled in BIOS/UEFI) for a fast emulator.

Step-by-step installation

Download the latest stable Android Studio from developer.android.com/studio. Avoid third-party download sites.
Run the installer. On Windows, run the .exe and keep the default components. On macOS, drag Android Studio to Applications. On Linux, unpack the archive and run studio.sh from bin/.
Complete the Setup Wizard. Choose Standard setup. It downloads the latest Android SDK, platform tools and an emulator system image.
Accept the SDK licences when prompted, and wait for the downloads to finish completely.
Open the SDK Manager (Settings → Languages & Frameworks → Android SDK) and confirm a recent Android platform and Android SDK Platform-Tools are installed.

Three separate pieces work together. Knowing which is which makes error messages much easier to read.

Create and run your first project

Choose New Project → Empty Activity. Recent templates use Jetpack Compose.
Set a name and a package name such as com.yourname.firstapp. The package name becomes your app's permanent ID on Google Play, so choose carefully for real apps.
Keep Kotlin and the Kotlin DSL (build.gradle.kts). Leave the suggested minimum SDK unless you have a reason to change it.
Click Finish and wait for the first Gradle sync. The first one downloads Gradle and libraries and can take several minutes.
Pick a device from the toolbar and press Run.

Set up an emulator

Open Device Manager → Create Virtual Device, pick a phone profile, then select a recent system image (an image with Google Play is useful for testing Play services features). Make sure hardware acceleration is working, because the emulator is very slow without it:

Windows: enable virtualisation in BIOS/UEFI and use the Windows Hypervisor Platform as described in Google's acceleration guide.
macOS: acceleration is built in.
Linux: install and enable KVM.

Run on a physical phone

On the phone, open Settings → About phone and tap Build number seven times to enable Developer options.
In Developer options, enable USB debugging, or Wireless debugging on supported versions.
Connect via USB and accept the Allow USB debugging? prompt on the phone.
Your phone appears in Android Studio's device list. Windows may need the manufacturer's USB driver.

You can confirm the connection from a terminal with adb, which lives in the SDK's platform-tools folder:

TerminalShell

adb devices
# List of devices attached
# R58N12ABCDE    device        ← ready
# R58N12ABCDE    unauthorized  ← accept the prompt on the phone

Recommended settings for beginners

Turn on auto-import (Editor → General → Auto Import) for Kotlin, so imports are added as you type.
Learn three shortcuts: Search Everywhere (double Shift), Find Action, and Reformat Code.
Use Logcat filters, such as package:mine, to see only your app's logs.
Keep Android Studio updated on the stable channel, and update the Android Gradle Plugin with the built-in Upgrade Assistant.

Troubleshooting common setup errors

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Gradle sync takes forever or fails	Slow or blocked network, proxy, antivirus scanning the Gradle cache	Check network and proxy settings; exclude the project and `.gradle` folders from real-time antivirus scanning; retry the sync
"SDK location not found"	Missing `local.properties` or SDK path	Set the SDK path in the SDK Manager; Android Studio writes `local.properties`
Emulator won't start or is very slow	Virtualisation disabled or hypervisor conflict	Enable VT-x/AMD-V in BIOS; follow Google's emulator acceleration guide
Phone not detected	USB debugging off, charge-only cable, missing driver	Enable debugging, use a data cable, install the OEM driver, accept the prompt
"Incompatible Gradle JVM"	Project uses a JDK version the build doesn't support	Settings → Build Tools → Gradle → Gradle JDK: choose the bundled JDK
Disk fills up	System images and Gradle caches	Delete unused AVDs and system images; clear old Gradle caches

Setups for different situations

Laptop with 8 GB RAM

Skip the emulator, debug on your phone over USB or Wi-Fi, and close other heavy apps while building.

College lab or shared PC

Install the SDK in a path without spaces or special characters, and keep projects in your user directory to avoid permission errors.

Office behind a proxy

Configure the HTTP proxy in Android Studio and in gradle.properties, because Gradle downloads separately from the IDE.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to install Java (JDK) separately?

Usually not. Android Studio bundles a JDK (the JetBrains Runtime), and new projects use it by default. See SDK vs JDK vs Gradle for details.

Which Android version should my emulator run?

Use a recent version for daily development, and create one more AVD near your app's minSdk to catch compatibility issues.

Can I use VS Code instead of Android Studio?

It's possible to build from the command line with any editor, but Android Studio's debugger, Compose previews, profilers and emulator integration make it the practical choice, especially for beginners.

Should I use the Beta or Canary channel?

Use Stable for learning and production work. Preview channels are for trying upcoming features and may have bugs.

Conclusion

A working setup has four parts: Android Studio, the Android SDK, a fast emulator or connected phone, and a successful Gradle sync. Most setup errors come from virtualisation, networking, drivers or JDK settings, and all of them are fixable with the table above.

Next step: build your first Android app, and read SDK vs JDK vs Gradle to understand what's happening under the hood.

Official references

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