Build → install → launch
One step builds, installs and launches the detected applicationId. Cold AVD + Install assembles while an offline emulator boots, then installs the moment it's ready.
1.3.0
Compose Preview on device
Build, run and debug Android right inside VS Code
Gradle, ADB, Logcat and AI agent tools in one side panel for VS Code and Cursor. Your Kotlin, your build.gradle.kts, your editor.
$ code --install-extension AndroidGradleTools.android-ide-extension
- 5.0 rating
- 4,900+ installs
- Free & open source
- VS Code & Cursor
Product tour
Why
Stop being the router between terminal, Gradle and device.
Compilers are fast. The friction lives around the compile button — the wrong working directory, guessing which device is attached, install steps that don't live next to your code.
zsh — the manual loop6 commands
$ cd ~/code/shop && ./gradlew :app:assembleDemoDebug BUILD SUCCESSFUL in 41s $ adb devices emulator-5554 device R5CT20ABCDE device $ adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/demo/debug/app-demo-debug.apk adb: more than one device/emulator $ adb -s emulator-5554 install -r app/build/…/app-demo-debug.apk $ adb -s emulator-5554 shell am start -n com.example.shop/.MainActivity $ adb -s emulator-5554 logcat | grep -i shop
With Android Gradle Tools1 click
androidshop1 Gradle root
deployed_codeapp | demoDebugexpand_more
Pixel 8 · API 35expand_more
play_arrowRun 'app'
construction
sync
bug_report
more_vert
check_circleInstalled and launched on Pixel 8
Root, module, variant and device stay selected between runs. The next build is one click — or ⌃R with the Studio keymap.
Features
Everything around the compile button.
Controls for Gradle, ADB and Logcat sit next to your code. Plain SDK binaries, visible flows — a UI on top of your build, never a replacement for it.
Devices, unambiguous
Live device and emulator picker that re-selects as devices come and go. Pair over Wi‑Fi, or reach a remote phone through an open-source relay.
Compose Preview, on device New in 1.3.0
A Preview on device CodeLens above each @Preview installs the debug build, opens the composable on the selected device and shows a screenshot beside the editor.
Logcat, integrated
Filter by level, tag, package, crash, text or regex — even with no project open. Prefix a tag with - to mute it, save presets, export logs, and jump from a stack trace to the line.
Variants, found by Sync
Sync reads modules and build variants from Gradle — by itself the first time a project opens. Flavors get real variants, not a guess.
APK builds, cached
Every successful build is kept. Reinstall, roll back, compare or share an older APK in seconds.
Debugger, attached
Attach JDWP to a running Java or Kotlin process over adb port forwarding. VS Code's debug toolbar does the rest.
Release signing, scaffolded
Pick or generate a keystore, keep passwords in SecretStorage, and preview the Gradle diff before it's written.
Daemons, contained
An isolated GRADLE_USER_HOME keeps editor builds away from Studio's daemons. Idle ones stop on a timer.
Studio muscle memory
Turn on the optional Android Studio keymap and your fingers already know the way.
⌃RRun
⌘F9Build
⌘F2Stop
⌘6Logcat
AI agents
Your coding agent now speaks Android.
Give Codex, Claude, Copilot, Gemini and Cursor the Android context you already have — local, reviewable, and only when you say so.
AI Toolchain
Check the official Android CLI and its Google-maintained skills, then link four bundled skills — screen inspector, build triage, Logcat debugger, device lab — into every agent you use.
Agent Context Bundle
One command gathers redacted diagnostics, focused build errors, Logcat, a device screenshot and UI layout into context.md. It never uploads or calls a model.
AppFunctions Lab Experimental
Inspect AppFunctions readiness and registered schemas on the selected device — without executing anything.
| Skill | Codex | Claude | Copilot | Gemini | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| android-build-triage | check | check | check | check | |
| android-logcat-debugger | check | check | check | ||
| android-screen-inspector | check | check | check | ||
| android-device-lab | check | check | check |
Gemini stays dimmed until its skills folder exists.
New in 1.3.0
Agent MCP server
Opt-in, local and token-protected. Agents queue in the same Gradle lane as your own builds instead of starting their own.
# Android: Connect AI Agent (MCP)… → 127.0.0.1:47831 android_state root · module · variant · selected device android_check compile changed modules → structured errors android_logcat app logs since last launch, crashes first android_run build → install → launch # device actions opt-in android_preview Compose @Preview on device # device actions opt-in
Quick start
From install to ▶ Run in three steps.
-
1
Install the extension
From the Visual Studio Marketplace, or straight from your terminal.
$ code --install-extension AndroidGradleTools.android-ide-extension -
2
Open your Gradle project
Any standard Android project with a Gradle wrapper. Sync finds modules and variants by itself the first time.
-
3
Pick a device, press Run
Choose a phone or emulator, then ▶ Run 'app'. Logcat is one click away.
Requirements
VS Code or Cursor 1.85+
adb on PATH or an SDK path
A JDK for Gradle
Emulator & Android CLI optional
Android Studio?
Keep Studio. Open it less.
Android Gradle Tools isn't a Studio replacement. It covers the daily write → build → run → read-the-logs loop, so you reach for the full IDE only when you need its specialist tools.
VS Code or Cursor + Android Gradle Tools
For the everyday loop — in the editor where your code, extensions and AI setup already live.
- Build, install and launch any variant on any device
- Logcat, structured build output and JDWP attach
- Release signing, APK cache, wireless & remote ADB
- Android skills for Codex, Claude, Copilot, Gemini and Cursor
Android Studio
For specialist tooling — open it when the job needs a dedicated Android IDE.
- Layout Inspector and visual design tools
- CPU, memory and network profilers
- Interactive Compose previews in the editor
- Deep Android refactorings and inspections
Run both side by side. Extension builds use their own GRADLE_USER_HOME, so they never fight Studio's daemons — and the optional Studio keymap keeps ⌃R and ⌘F9 where your fingers expect.
Changelog
What's new
1.3.0Latest
- Compose Preview on a device. A CodeLens above each
@Previewrenders it on your phone and shows a screenshot beside the editor. - Agent MCP server. Opt-in and local: Claude Code, Codex and Cursor get build state, compile checks, app Logcat and gated device actions.
- One Gradle queue. Panel builds, syncs, previews and agent runs wait for each other.
- Terminals use the extension's JDK. New terminals get the matching
JAVA_HOME. - Idle daemon stop spares running builds. Auto-stop skips a Gradle root while any daemon is busy.
1.2.02026-09-28
- Android Studio–style panel. Run widget, docked tool windows and a JVM meter.
- Sync finds your variants. Real flavors like
demoDebug, on first open. - Stop, with a timer. Run turns into Stop while Gradle works.
- Studio-style Settings and keymap. ⌃R, ⌘F9, ⌘F2 and ⌘6.
- AI Toolchain page. Android CLI, official skills and an agent-by-skill grid.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Can I build Android apps in VS Code?
Yes. Open a standard Android Gradle project, pick a Gradle root, module, build variant and device, then build, install or launch the app from the Android panel. Android Studio stays useful for profilers and design tooling, but it isn't required for the routine Gradle-to-device loop.
How do I view Android Logcat in VS Code?
Run Android: Logcat or open Logcat from the Android panel — even with no Gradle project open. Filter by package, tag, level, crashes, stack traces, text or regex; prefix a tag with - to exclude it, then export the filtered output.
Can VS Code launch an Android emulator?
Yes. The device picker discovers your Android Virtual Devices and can start one before installing. Cold AVD + Install builds while the emulator boots, then installs once it's ready.
Can AI agents inspect my Android app and device?
Yes. The optional AI Toolchain manages official Android CLI skills and bundled Android skills. Android: Create Agent Context Bundle collects redacted diagnostics, build errors, Logcat, a device screenshot and UI evidence locally, for you to review before sharing.
Does it send my code or logs anywhere?
No. Bundled skills and context bundles stay on your machine. Crash reports open as a sanitized payload in your browser and are sent only if you press Submit — and you can turn them off.
Bring the Android loop into your editor.
Free, open source, and about a minute to set up.