Android Studio Lite

Android Dev Companion for VS Code & Cursor - Streamline your Android development workflow without leaving your editor.

Features

📱 Device Management

• Real-time device detection for connected Android devices and emulators
• Quick device switching with visual indicators
• Device status monitoring (online/offline)
• Full support for Android Virtual Devices (AVDs)

🏗️ Build Variants

• Automatic detection using Gradle init scripts
• Multi-module project support
• Easy switching between debug/release and flavor combinations
• Fast variant loading with intelligent caching

🚀 App Lifecycle Controls

• Run App - Build and install your app with one click
• Stop App - Force stop running applications
• Uninstall - Remove apps from devices quickly
• Clear Data - Clear app data without uninstalling

📊 Logcat Integration

• Live log streaming from your device
• Filter by log level (Verbose, Debug, Info, Warn, Error)
• Pause/Resume control
• Clear log buffer when needed

Setup

Prerequisites

• VS Code or Cursor (v1.74.0 or higher)
• Android SDK with Platform Tools installed
• ADB (Android Debug Bridge) accessible in PATH or configured
• Gradle wrapper in your Android project

Installation

1. Open VS Code/Cursor
2. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Android Studio Lite"
4. Click Install

Configuration

For Users with Android Studio Installed

If you already have Android Studio installed, minimal setup is required!

1. Set Android SDK Path (Required)

   The extension will automatically detect your SDK if you have ANDROID_HOME or ANDROID_SDK_ROOT environment variables set. If not, configure it:

   Option A: Set Environment Variable (Recommended)

   macOS/Linux:

   # Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
   export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Library/Android/sdk
   # or
   export ANDROID_SDK_ROOT=$HOME/Library/Android/sdk
   

   Windows:

   • Open System Properties → Environment Variables
   • Add new variable: ANDROID_HOME = C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk

   Option B: Configure in VS Code Settings

   • Open Settings (Cmd+, / Ctrl+,)
   • Search for android-studio-lite.sdkPath
   • Enter your SDK root path

2. Restart VS Code/Cursor

   After setting the environment variable, restart your editor to apply changes.

The extension will automatically detect:

• ✅ SDK Root Path
• ✅ Platform Tools (ADB)
• ✅ Build Tools
• ✅ Emulator (if installed)
• ✅ AVD Manager (if installed)
• ✅ AVD Home (defaults to ~/.android/avd)

Usage

Device Management

• Open the Android Studio Lite sidebar (click the Android icon in the activity bar)
• Devices appear in the sidebar with online/offline status
• Click on the device selector to switch devices
• Use Command Palette: Android Studio Lite: Start Emulator to launch an emulator

Build Variants

• Click on the build variant selector in the sidebar
• Or use Command Palette: Android Studio Lite: Select Build Variant
• Choose from detected variants (e.g., debug, release, productionDebug)

Running Your App

1. Select a device (must be online)
2. Select a build variant
3. Click "Run App" in the sidebar or use Command Palette
4. The extension will build the APK, install it, and launch the app

Logcat

• Click "Start Logcat" in the sidebar or use Command Palette: Android Studio Lite: Start Logcat
• Logs appear in the Output panel
• Use pause/resume/clear controls as needed
• Filter by log level using Android Studio Lite: Set Log Level

Commands

All commands are accessible via Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P):

Setup Commands

• Android Studio Lite: Update SDK Root Path - Configure Android SDK Root Path
• Android Studio Lite: Update AVD Manager Path - Configure AVD Manager executable path
• Android Studio Lite: Update Emulator Path - Configure Emulator executable path

Device & Emulator Commands

• Android Studio Lite: Select Device - Choose target device
• Android Studio Lite: Start Emulator - Launch an emulator
• Android Studio Lite: Select Emulator - Select an emulator to use

Build & App Commands

• Android Studio Lite: Select Build Variant - Choose build configuration
• Android Studio Lite: Run App - Build and launch app
• Android Studio Lite: Stop App - Force stop running app
• Android Studio Lite: Uninstall - Remove app from device
• Android Studio Lite: Clear Data - Clear app data

Logcat Commands

• Android Studio Lite: Start Logcat - Begin log streaming
• Android Studio Lite: Stop Logcat - Stop log streaming
• Android Studio Lite: Pause Logcat - Pause log streaming
• Android Studio Lite: Resume Logcat - Resume log streaming
• Android Studio Lite: Clear Logcat - Clear log buffer
• Android Studio Lite: Set Log Level - Filter logs by level

Configuration

Access via File > Preferences > Settings (or Cmd+, / Ctrl+,):

Required Settings

• android-studio-lite.sdkPath - Android SDK Root Path (or set ANDROID_HOME/ANDROID_SDK_ROOT environment variable)

Optional Settings

• android-studio-lite.avdHome - Android AVD Home Path
• android-studio-lite.adbPath - Custom ADB executable path
• android-studio-lite.emulatorPath - Custom emulator executable path
• android-studio-lite.executable - AVD Manager executable path
• android-studio-lite.autoSelectDevice - Auto-select first online device
• android-studio-lite.devicePollInterval - Device refresh interval (ms, default: 3000)
• android-studio-lite.logcatBufferSize - Max log lines in buffer (default: 10000)

Troubleshooting

No Devices Detected

1. Ensure ADB is installed and accessible
2. Check ADB path in settings
3. Run adb devices in terminal to verify devices are connected
4. Ensure devices are authorized (unlock device and accept USB debugging)

Build Variants Not Detected

1. Ensure you're in an Android project root
2. Check that gradlew exists in project root
3. Verify Gradle wrapper is executable
4. Check Output panel for Gradle errors

Emulator Not Found

1. Install Android SDK Emulator via Android Studio SDK Manager
2. Set ANDROID_HOME or ANDROID_SDK_ROOT environment variable
3. Configure custom emulator path in settings

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.