Android Dev

Android Development Skill for Gemini CLI

This skill enables Gemini CLI to serve as a full Android development copilot — building, debugging, deploying, testing, and managing Android projects alongside Android Studio and ADB.

Quick Reference

Before diving into a task, determine which reference file to read:

Read the relevant reference file BEFORE executing commands. Each contains battle-tested patterns and edge-case handling.

Environment Setup

Before any Android work, verify the environment:

# Run the environment check script
./scripts/check_env.sh

This validates:

• ANDROID_HOME / ANDROID_SDK_ROOT is set
• adb, gradle/gradlew, sdkmanager, avdmanager, emulator are in PATH
• At least one device or emulator is connected
• Java/JDK version is compatible

If the environment check fails, guide the user through setup based on their OS.

Core Workflows

1. Build & Deploy

The most common workflow — build an APK/AAB and install it on a device:

# Clean build
./gradlew clean assembleDebug

# Install on connected device
./gradlew installDebug

# Or manually with ADB
adb install -r app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk

For release builds, read references/gradle-commands.md for signing configuration.

2. Debug & Inspect

Stream logs filtered by app package:

# Get the app's PID
adb shell pidof -s com.example.app

# Stream filtered logs
adb logcat --pid=<PID>

# Or filter by tag
adb logcat -s MyAppTag:D *:S

For advanced debugging (layout inspector, memory profiling, network inspection), read references/adb-commands.md.

3. Test

# Unit tests
./gradlew test

# Instrumented tests (requires device/emulator)
./gradlew connectedAndroidTest

# Specific test class
./gradlew test --tests "com.example.MyTest"

Read references/testing.md for Espresso, UI Automator, and screenshot testing patterns.

4. Emulator Management

# List available AVDs
emulator -list-avds

# Launch emulator
emulator -avd Pixel_7_API_34 -no-snapshot-load

# Create new AVD
avdmanager create avd -n "Pixel_7_API_34" \
  -k "system-images;android-34;google_apis;x86_64" \
  -d "pixel_7"

Read references/emulator-sdk.md for headless CI, snapshot management, and system image installation.

Project Scaffolding

When the user asks to create a new Android project from the CLI (without Android Studio UI):

# Use the scaffolding script
./scripts/scaffold_project.sh <project-name> <package-name> [--compose] [--min-sdk 24]

This creates a standard project structure with:

• Kotlin as the default language
• Material 3 / Jetpack Compose (if --compose flag)
• Version catalog (libs.versions.toml)
• Standard Gradle wrapper

Common Patterns

Multi-device deployment

# Deploy to all connected devices
adb devices | grep -v "List" | awk '{print $1}' | xargs -I {} adb -s {} install -r app.apk

Wireless debugging (Android 11+)

adb pair <ip>:<pairing_port>    # Enter pairing code
adb connect <ip>:<connect_port>

Deep links testing

adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW \
  -d "myapp://screen/detail?id=123" \
  com.example.app

Screenshot & screen recording

adb shell screencap -p /sdcard/screen.png && adb pull /sdcard/screen.png .
adb shell screenrecord /sdcard/demo.mp4  # Ctrl+C to stop, then adb pull

Error Recovery

When builds or deployments fail, follow this diagnostic flow:

1. Build failure → ./gradlew assembleDebug --stacktrace --info
2. Install failure → adb install -r -d app.apk (allow downgrade) or adb uninstall <pkg> first
3. Device not found → adb kill-server && adb start-server && adb devices
4. Emulator crash → emulator -avd <name> -wipe-data -no-snapshot-load
5. Gradle sync fail → ./gradlew --stop && rm -rf .gradle && ./gradlew clean
6. SDK missing → sdkmanager --list | grep <needed> then sdkmanager "<package>"

Tool Categories

This skill provides commands in these categories:

ADB Tools

• Device management, app lifecycle, file transfer, shell commands
• Log streaming with filters
• Screenshot and screen recording

Gradle Tools

• Build tasks, dependency analysis, project info
• Testing, linting, signing

Emulator Tools

• AVD management, launch, snapshot control
• Headless mode for CI/CD

SDK Tools

• Package installation and updates
• License acceptance

APK Analysis

• APK inspection, permissions, manifest