1
Open Build mode
Use the left navigation in Google AI Studio, then choose Android in the platform picker.
Build mode → Android
A simple mental picture of the picker. Verify in Google’s guide ↗
Route B · A visual field guide for students
From idea to Android app.
Google AI Studio can generate a native Android project from a plain-language prompt. This is the path: ask clearly, inspect what it made, then put it on a device.
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Build mode / Android
Make a tiny habit tracker.
Prompt
“Create a simple daily habit tracker with a green check button and local storage.”
“Create a simple daily habit tracker with a green check button and local storage.”
MY HABITSOne small win
One small win
today.
The whole journey
Choose your next move.
AI Studio removes some setup, not the need to understand what is happening. Follow these three moves in order.
Move 01 / Build mode
Ask for a small first app.
Officially, Build mode starts from a prompt and lets you select Android from the platform picker. AI Studio generates Kotlin and Jetpack Compose, then opens a browser-based emulator.
2
Write your prompt
Describe one useful screen and one interaction. Ask for explanations, not magic.
ANDROID PROMPT
Create a simple
study timer with a
start button and
local progress.
Create a simple
study timer with a
start button and
local progress.
Good prompts are concrete enough to check.
3
Read the generated code
Open the Code tab. Look for Kotlin files, Compose UI, resources, and Gradle build files.
@Composable
fun StudyTimer() {
Text("Start")
Button(onClick = ...) { ... }
}
fun StudyTimer() {
Text("Start")
Button(onClick = ...) { ... }
}
The generated Android project uses Jetpack Compose.
4
Iterate, then export
Ask for one change at a time. When you want local control, download the project as a ZIP and open it in Android Studio.
Chat → Code → ZIP
Keep a copy of what you made.
Keep a copy of what you made.
A prompt to start with
Give Gemini a job it can check.
Copy this, then replace the bracketed idea. The student still decides what the app should do and reviews every change.
Build a native Android app in Kotlin and Jetpack Compose called [NAME]. Start with one screen: [WHAT THE USER SEES]. Add one button that [WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TAPPED]. Keep the design simple, use local state only, and explain which files you changed.AI helps. You still drive.
Use the generated app as a starting point, not as proof that everything is correct.
- Ask what each file does.
- Test the button yourself.
- Do not paste passwords or API keys.
- Change one thing, then run it again.
Move 02 / Test it
Pick a screen to run on.
There are three useful levels. Start with the browser preview, then choose a local virtual device or a real phone when you need real hardware behavior.
Cloud emulator
AI Studio’s Android emulator runs in the cloud and streams to your browser. Great for the first “it works!” moment.
01Let AI Studio finish the build.
02Tap, scroll, and rotate the preview.
03Remember: camera, NFC, Bluetooth, and real GPS are limited.
Your Android phone
For Google AI Studio’s browser install, use Chrome or Edge, a USB cable, Developer options, and USB debugging.
01On the phone: enable Developer options → USB debugging.
02Click Install on Device in the preview.
03Choose the phone in the browser USB picker.
Safety check: only authorize USB debugging on a computer you trust. If the phone asks to accept an RSA debugging key, read the prompt before accepting.
If you use Android Studio
Create a virtual device.
Android Studio’s Device Manager creates an Android Virtual Device (AVD), a pretend phone that runs on your computer. You create it once — the system image is what gets downloaded the first time you pick it.
A
Open Device Manager
From the Welcome screen use More Actions → Virtual Device Manager. In a project use View → Tool Windows → Device Manager.
Official Android Studio screenshot. Source ↗
B
Create Virtual Device
Click +, choose Create Virtual Device, then select a phone profile such as a Pixel device.
Official Android Studio screenshot. Source ↗
C
Download a system image
Pick a recommended API image. A download icon means it is not on the computer yet; click it and wait.
Official Android Studio screenshot. Source ↗
D
Finish, launch, run
Accept the configuration, click Finish, then press the play button beside the new device. Select it in Android Studio’s run menu.
Official Android Studio screenshot. Source ↗
Know the limits
What AI Studio can’t make.
AI Studio’s Android path is powerful but has boundaries. If a student asks for these, they’ll hit a wall — steer them toward Route A (hand-built in Android Studio) instead.
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Compose only
AI Studio generates Kotlin with Jetpack Compose. It does not support Java or XML layouts.
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One screen at a time
Only single-activity, single-module projects. No complex multi-screen architectures.
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No native code
C and C++ (NDK) are not supported, and neither are Wear OS, Android TV, or Automotive targets.
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Client-side apps
No built-in backend, database, or multiplayer. Those need the web/full-stack path or Route A.
Prefer to build by hand? Route A (Android Studio) is the full manual workshop on the home page — install it, write the code yourself, and ship an APK the traditional way.
Move 03 / Keep going
Leave with a working habit.
The goal is not to accept the first generated answer. The goal is to build a repeatable loop: prompt, inspect, run, notice, improve.
Student finish line
- I can explain what my app does in one sentence.
- I can find the Code tab and name one Kotlin file.
- I have run the app in a preview or on a device.
- I changed one thing and tested it again.
- I know where the ZIP/project copy is saved.