These Are the Must-Have Android Development Tools

Professional Android developers use specific tools for building mobile apps. You should never reinvent the wheel when developing native apps for Android. Developing native apps is time-costly and expensive. Why create a native app when there are so many platforms to choose from? It’s the application idea itself that you want to monopolize. 

There are over 3 billion active Android devices out there, and this number is multiplying, making it imperative that you speed up the process of creating an Android app. 

So, how can you create apps faster? By focusing on the Android development tools that I will share with you here.

1. Android Studio

Android Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) based on another IDE called IntelliJ IDEA. Android Studio offers a unified environment with an integrated software development kit (SDK), used to build apps for Android phones, tablets, Android Wear, Android TV, and Android Auto. It supports Java and Kotlin as the main programming languages for app development. 

Features:

• Instant app run
• Visual layout editor
• Apk analyzer
• Fast emulator 
• Intelligent code editor
• Flexible build system
• Realtime profilers
• Develop for all devices

2. Visual Studio with Xamarin

Xamarin is an open-source development platform that helps you build modern, high-performance applications. You can develop Android apps, as well as iOS and Windows apps, with a single codebase. Because of this, Xamarin lets you create cross-platform apps. Further, Xamarin has a reputation for a quick development cycle. 

Features:

• Cross-platform app development
• Native user experience
• Open-source
• Microsoft support
• API integration
• Cost-effective
• Shared codebase
• High-security

3. Firebase

Firebase is a Backend-as-a-Service (Baas) solution, categorized as a NoSQL database program. The platform stores data in JSON-like documents, and even better, Google backs it. Firebase helps you manage servers and your server-side environment, so you don’t have to write any backend code. 

Features:

• Authentication
• Analytics
• Realtime database
• Hosting
• Test lab
• Notifications
• Support for all platforms — Android, iOS, and Web
• Firestore — NoSQL document database

4. AIDE

AIDE is an integrated development environment (IDE) used to develop real Android apps and websites directly on your Android device. You can also develop Java applications and PhoneGap apps on your Android device, and it supports Java, C/C++, XML, HTML, CSS, and Javascript programming languages.

Features:

• Support for web development
• Interactive programming lessons
• Visual design editor
• Feature-rich editor with code completion
• Real-time error checking
• Refactoring
• Smart code navigation
• Run your app with a single click
• Java debugger 
• Integrates with Dropbox, Git, and PhoneGap

5. Flutter

Flutter is Google’s portable UI toolkit for crafting natively compiled applications. Flutter works for developing apps for mobile devices, web, and desktops with a single codebase. It supports the Dart programming language.

Features:

• Smooth and easy cross-platform mobile app development
• Ready-to-use and customizable widgets
• Native app-like performance
• Free and open-source
• Hot reload — faster code writing
• Integrated rendering engine
• Integrations APIs

6. React Native

React Native is an open-source mobile application framework created by Facebook. It’s a Javascript-based mobile app framework mainly used to develop natively rendered mobile apps for Android and iOS. 

Features:

• Cross-platform app development
• Native app development 
• Support for multiple platforms using one codebase
• Live and hot reloading 
• Large developer community
• Modular architecture
• Simple user interface
• Optimal performance
• Third-party plugins support
• Handy libraries
• Code reusability 

7. Unity 3D

Unity is a cross-platform game engine with a built-in integrated development environment (IDE). It is useful for developing apps and games for Android and iOS platforms and the PC and select consoles. It supports C# and Javascript programming languages. 

Features:

• Includes a ton of professional tools
• Artist-friendly environment
• 2D and 3D game development
• Physics-based materials
• Post-processing
• High-resolution lighting systems
• Free to use
• Supportive community
• Unity’s asset store management
• Beginner-friendly
• Rapid development speed
• Active plugin creators

8. Hyperion 

Hyperion is an app inspection tool for Android applications. As a hidden plugin drawer, it offers easy integration into any app. It also makes the inspection of your app quick and simple. 

Features:

• Inspect views and adjust their attributes
• View application BuildConfig values
• Browse, delete, or share your app’s files
• Check animation performance by listening for dropped frames
• Clear local storage and relaunch the app
• Record, save and share a video of your app
• View and edit your app’s key-value storage
• Browse SQLite databases within your app.
• View Timber recorded log messages

9. RxJava

RxJava is a Java Virtual Machine implementation of ReactiveX. ReactiveX is a library for composing asynchronous and event-based programs. RxJava’s standard workflow lets you manage all data and events across the application. 

Features:

• Perform asynchronous tasks easily
• Solve problems rapidly
• Easy to maintain
• Easy to understand
• Write clean code
• Simple threading 
• Simple error handling
• Easy caching

10. Figma

Figma is a web-based graphics editing and user interface design app used to wireframe websites and mobile design apps. You can craft social media posts and prototype designs with it as well. 

Features:

• It provides simple collaboration for teams
• Uncomplicated and flexible sharing
• Real-time updating
• Easy to use interface
• Developer friendly 
• Third-party tool integration
• Automatic file versioning
• Intuitive prototyping

11. Android Debug Bridge

Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a versatile command-line tool that lets you communicate with an Android device. It also facilitates a variety of device actions. Mainly it’s used to install and debug apps, and it provides you with a Unix shell that can run a variety of commands on a device.

Features:

• Connect to a device over Wi-Fi 
• Send commands to a specific device
• Set up port forwarding
• Copy files to/from a device
• Take a screenshot
• Record a video
• Read Android RunTime profiles for apps
• Reset test devices
• Execute SQLite commands

Conclusion

The above tools can help you develop high-quality, maintainable Android apps faster than before. There are many options out there, and these are just a few of our top picks. As new apps are created, so are new development tools, so always be sure to stay on top of the latest and greatest news regarding what’s coming out and what’s working best. If you want to learn more about Android development, check out our course on Udemy.