Introduction:

This post contains instructions to set up Android Emulator devices via Android Studio. Please note, all screenshots, commands, and instructions that follow are using Mac OS only

Pre-requisites:

• Android Studio is installed

• node.js and npm is installed

• It is assumed that you know:

  • what are PATH variables

  • how to use vi editor in Terminal

  • how to enable/disable the "developer options" and "USB debugging" on Android device

Learning Objectives

• Setup Android virtual devices and launch it via Android Studio

• Launch Android emulator via cli

• Using adb commands

  • to view connected devices

  • to install/uninstall apk on emulator

1. Setup Android Devices via Android Studio

1.1 Setup Demo Project

After installing Android Studio, set up a new Project using all the default options as follows:

After clicking on the "Finish" button, when you project is visible on the left panel check if you can view "Tools" > "Device Manager"

1.2 Launch Device Manager

Launch Tools >> Device Manager and Click on "Create virtual device" to start creating the Android Emulator

Choose Device type and click Next

Choose Android version and click Next. Note that at this Step, download of image is going to happen

Give your device a name and click Next

You should see the device you have under "Device Manager"

1.3 Starting the virtual device

Following the above mentioned steps you can create as many devices as required

Let's say you wanted 3 combinations of Device and Android OS

• Pixel 6 Pro with Android 12

• Pixel 4 XL with Android 12

• Nexus 6 with Android 13

This is how you would see in under "Device Manager"

To start the Virtual device say "pixel6Pro" click play as show below:

This would launch the device name pixel6pro in the Emulator , you can pop it out in a separate window

Emulator View in the full window

2. Open Android virtual devices using cli

a. You have 3 virtual devices setup successfuly with following device names, which you can be launced via Android Studio

• nexus6

• pixel4a_xl

• pixel6Pro

b. Now that we have setup the devices , we don't really need to open Android studio to launch these devices.

Use the following command from Terminal to launch the

/users/<username>/Library/Android/sdk/emulator/emulator -avd nexus6

3. Install apk via cli

Note: To start with download fitbit apk from here if you want to follow along

3.1 Verify PATH variable

One of efficient ways to install apk is to use cli . We are going to use Android Debug Bridge ("adb"), CLI tool which should get installed as part of Android sdk when you have download Android Studio

To know more about adb refer to this page

Make sure that PATH variables are set correctly, use this as reference:

3.2 Verify connected emulators

adb Commands used here:

• to view the connected devices : adb devices

• to install an apk : adb -s <device-name> install <apk name with path>

• to re-install apk (when reinstalling): adb -s <device-name> install -r <apk name with path>

a. when no emulators are running, output of "adb devices"

b. when 1 virtual device is running, output of "adb devices"

b. when 2 devices are running, output of "adb devices"

c. To install apk

• first go to the folder where apk is present

• 

• Then run the following command to install the apk on the emulator of choice

  adb -s emulator-5554 install -r fitbit3.apk

• 

  • you should be able to view and use the fitbit app on virtual device "pixel6Pro"