Valdroid Emulator

Android emulator streaming and controls inside VS Code, with an ADB/logcat console that follows the device you are using.

Features

• Select an Android Virtual Device or an available ADB device.
• Running devices are marked “(running)” in the picker. Running emulators show their AVD name and serial; matching startup entries are omitted when their identity can be read.
• Stream the display and audio, with pointer and keyboard input.
• Power, Home, Back, recent-apps, mute, and volume controls alongside the screen.
• Fit the emulator to the available view, without scrolling off the bottom.
• Drop APKs onto the display to install them, or other files to send them to Downloads, with progress and completion feedback. APK installation supports updating an existing app while keeping its data, as well as test APKs. Only drop APKs you trust; Android signature/version restrictions still apply.
• Colored logcat, package and severity filters, text search, pause, follow, copy, and bounded scrollback in the Valdroid console.
• Device-scoped ADB commands, command history, and cancellation.

The console is a command runner and log viewer, not an interactive terminal. Commands such as shell getprop ro.product.model and install "/path/App.apk" are supported; interactive shells and password prompts are not.

Requirements

• Desktop VS Code 1.95 or newer. Browser-only VS Code is not supported.
• Windows x64, Linux x64/ARM64, or macOS on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs and Windows ARM64 are not supported.
• Android SDK Platform Tools (adb) and an authorized device.
• To launch an emulator: Android SDK Emulator and an existing AVD, created with Android Studio's Device Manager or the Android SDK command-line tools.
• Android 8.0/API 26 or newer for the agent; audio capture also depends on the Android version and whether the app permits capture.

Packaged extensions contain the Go control server and Android agent; users do not need Node.js, Go, or a JDK. Consult release notes for host-native runtime requirements. The extension runs locally, including in Remote SSH workspaces, and uses the local Android SDK, not the remote machine's SDK.

Getting Started

1. Install the VSIX for your operating system and CPU architecture using Extensions: Install from VSIX. Marketplace publication is being prepared.
2. Click the gear in the emulator panel or run Valdroid: Settings and set SDK Path to your Android SDK folder. SDK environment variables, usual installation folders and PATH are also supported.
3. Run Valdroid: Show Emulator, select a device, and press the play button.
4. Open Valdroid: Show ADB Console for that same device's logs and commands.

Closing the stream also shuts down an emulator started by Valdroid; independently started devices are not owned by the extension. Use the debug toggle for stream status and the Valdroid Emulator output channel for startup diagnostics.

Settings

Executable overrides take priority over SDK Path. With no SDK Path configured, discovery checks ANDROID_HOME, ANDROID_SDK_ROOT and the usual SDK installation folder for your OS, then falls back to PATH. Paths can contain spaces and support ~ for your home directory; do not surround them with quotes.

For example, setting valdroid-emulator.sdkPath to /Users/you/Library/Android/sdk or C:\\Users\\you\\AppData\\Local\\Android\\Sdk configures both tools. Reload the window when prompted to apply changes. Resolved executable paths appear in the Valdroid Emulator output channel.

Troubleshooting

If a device is missing, check adb devices and accept its debugging authorization prompt. If an AVD is missing, check emulator -list-avds using the configured SDK. Include sanitized output-channel logs, OS/architecture, Android version, and extension version in bug reports.

Audio starts after a user interaction and respects the client's mute/volume state. Android or app restrictions may still prevent audio capture.

File transfers use the extension host's ADB process directly; no upload web API is needed. The control server is for local use only. Do not expose its ports to untrusted networks.

Local HTTP and agent listeners prefer ports 38475 and 38476. If another process is using either port, Valdroid automatically selects an available port and connects to the addresses announced by its own server.

Development

Run npm test for unit/integration tests and npm run test:packaging for bundle validation. AVC playback and profiling describes the current video path and live presentation checks.

Source and License

Source code and issue tracker. Valdroid's original code is AGPL-3.0-only, without warranty. You may use, modify, and redistribute it under that license. Covered binary distributions require corresponding source under the applicable terms; modified versions offered for remote network interaction have additional source-offer requirements. Third-party components retain their upstream licenses.

Release VSIXs contain LICENSE, NOTICE, SOURCE.md, third-party notices, and the release's repository source archive. Development-only VSIXs are not releases.

Support

Contributions and bug reports help keep Valdroid improving. You can also support development on Ko-fi.