You ain't going back to android studio for a while.
Get started in 2 minutes
Install the extension (Extensions view → search "Android Studio Lite" → Install).
Set Android SDK path
Set ANDROID_HOME (or ANDROID_SDK_ROOT) to your SDK root, or
Settings → search android-studio-lite.sdkPath → set the path.
Restart the editor after changing env vars.
Open an Android project (folder with gradlew).
Open the Android Studio Lite view in the sidebar (Android icon in the activity bar).
Select an AVD in the dropdown (or start an emulator from the AVD view).
Select a module (e.g. app) in the dropdown.
Click Run. The extension builds, installs, and launches the app on the device.
Turn Logcat on to see logs for that app in the Logcat output channel.
Prerequisites
Editor: VS Code or Cursor v1.74.0+
Android SDK with Platform Tools (ADB). If you use Android Studio, the SDK is usually at:
macOS: ~/Library/Android/sdk
Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk
Android project: Workspace folder must contain a Gradle wrapper (gradlew / gradlew.bat).
Configuration
What
How
SDK path (required)
Set ANDROID_HOME or ANDROID_SDK_ROOT, or set android-studio-lite.sdkPath in Settings.
AVD / Emulator
Auto-detected from SDK. Override with android-studio-lite.emulator, android-studio-lite.avdHome if needed.
ADB
Auto-detected from SDK platform-tools. Override with android-studio-lite.adbPath if needed.
After changing environment variables, restart the editor.
Running your app
Open the Android Studio Lite sidebar view.
Device: Choose an AVD from the dropdown. If the emulator is not running, the extension can start it when you Run.
Module: Choose the app module (e.g. app). Variants are loaded from Gradle; pick the one you want (e.g. debug).
Click Run.
Extension builds and installs the app (Gradle), then launches it on the selected device.
The first run may take longer (Gradle, booting emulator).
Logcat (app logs only)
Turn Logcat on via the Logcat toggle in the Android Studio Lite sidebar.
Logcat shows only the app you last ran (filtered by PID).
Logs stream in the Logcat output channel (Output panel → channel dropdown → "Logcat").
Before first use: Run your app once from the sidebar so the extension knows which app/device to attach to.
Commands: Start/Stop/Clear via Command Palette (Android Studio Lite: Start Logcat, etc.).
Build variants & devices
Build variant: Use the Build Variant view in the sidebar or Command Palette: Android Studio Lite: Select Build Variant. Variants (e.g. debug, release, flavors) are loaded from your Gradle project.
Devices: Device list and emulator start are in the AVD section of the sidebar. Command Palette: Android Studio Lite: Start Emulator, Android Studio Lite: Select Device.
Commands reference
Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P):
Command
Purpose
Update SDK Root Path
Set Android SDK path.
Update Emulator Path / AVD Manager Path
Override paths if needed.
Start Emulator / Select Device
Launch or choose device.
Select Build Variant
Choose build configuration.
Run App
Build, install, launch.
Start Logcat / Stop Logcat / Clear Logcat
Control log stream.
Stop App / Uninstall / Clear Data
App lifecycle on device.
Troubleshooting
Issue
What to do
No devices
Run adb devices. Ensure USB debugging authorized or emulator running. Check android-studio-lite.sdkPath (or ANDROID_HOME).
Build variants empty
Open an Android project root (with gradlew). Make sure Gradle wrapper is executable.
Logcat shows “Run the app first”
Run the app once from the sidebar so the extension can attach Logcat to that app.
Emulator not found
Install SDK Platform Tools & Emulator (e.g. via Android Studio SDK Manager). Set SDK path.
