Create and Manage Virtual Devices
An
Android Virtual Device (AVD) is a configuration that defines the
characteristics of an Android phone, tablet, Android Wear, or Android TV device
that you want to simulate in the Android Emulator. The AVD Manager is an
interface you can launch from Android Studio that helps you create and manage
AVDs.
To
open the AVD Manager, do one of the following:
·
Select Tools > Android > AVD
Manager.
·
Click AVD Manager
in the
toolbar.
in the
toolbar.
About AVDs
An AVD contains a hardware profile, system image, storage
area, skin, and other properties.
Hardware profile
The hardware profile defines the
characteristics of a device as shipped from the factory. The AVD Manager comes
preloaded with certain hardware profiles, such as Pixel devices, and you can
define or customize the hardware profiles as needed.
Notice that only some hardware profiles are
indicated to include Play Store. This indicates that these profiles are
fully CTS compliant and may use
system images that include the Play Store app.
System image
We recommend that you create an AVD for
each system image that your app could potentially support based on the
<uses-sdk>
setting in your manifest.
Notice that some system images are labeled
with Google APIs, which means it includes access to Google Play services.
Other system images are labeled with Google Play, which means it
includes the Google Play Store app and
access to Google Play services.
Storage area
The AVD has a dedicated
storage area on your development machine. It stores the device user data, such
as installed apps and settings, as well as an emulated SD card. If needed, you
can use the AVD Manager to wipe user data, so the device has the same data as
if it were new.
Skin
An emulator skin
specifies the appearance of a device. The AVD Manager provides some predefined
skins. You can also define your own, or use skins provided by third parties.
AVD and app features
Be sure your AVD
definition includes the device features your app depends on. See Hardware Profile Properties
and AVD Properties
for lists of features you can define in your AVDs.
Create an AVD
Tip: If you want to launch your app into an
emulator, instead run your app from Android Studio and then in the Select
Deployment Target dialog that appears, click Create New Virtual Device.
To create a new AVD:
1. Open the AVD Manager by
clicking Tools > Android > AVD Manager.
2.
Click Create Virtual Device, at the bottom of the
AVD Manager dialog.
The Select Hardware page appears.
Notice that only some
hardware profiles are indicated to include Play Store. This indicates
that these profiles are fully CTS compliant and may use system images that include the
Play Store app.
3. Select a hardware
profile, and then click Next.
The System Image
page appears.
4. Select the system image
for a particular API level, and then click Next.
The Recommended
tab lists recommended system images. The other tabs include a more complete
list. The right pane describes the selected system image. x86 images run the
fastest in the emulator.
If you see Download
next to the system image, you need to click it to download the system image.
You must be connected to the internet to download it.
The API level of the
target device is important, because your app won't be able to run on a system
image with an API level that's less than that required by your app, as
specified in the minSdkVersion attribute of the app
manifest file. For more information about the relationship between system API
level and minSdkVersion, see Versioning Your Apps.
If your app declares a <uses-library> element in the manifest
file, the app requires a system image in which that external library is
present. If you want to run your app on an emulator, create an AVD that
includes the required library. To do so, you might need to use an add-on
component for the AVD platform; for example, the Google APIs add-on contains
the Google Maps library.
The Verify
Configuration page appears.
Click Show Advanced Settings to show
more settings, such as the skin.
The new AVD appears in the Your Virtual
Devices page or the Select Deployment Target dialog.
To create an AVD starting
with a copy:
Or click Menu 
and select Duplicate.
and select Duplicate.
2.
Click Change or Previous if you need to
make changes on the System Image and Select Hardware pages.
3.
Make your changes, and then click Finish.
The AVD appears in the Your Virtual
Devices page.
Create a hardware profile
The AVD Manager provides predefined
hardware profiles for common devices so you can easily add them to your AVD
definitions. If you need to define a different device, you can create a new
hardware profile. You can define a new hardware profile from the beginning, or copy a hardware profile as a start. The
preloaded hardware profiles aren't editable.
To create a new hardware
profile from the beginning:
3.
Click Finish.
Your new hardware profile
appears in the Select Hardware page. You can optionally create an AVD that uses the hardware
profile by clicking Next. Or, click Cancel to return to the Your
Virtual Devices page or Select Deployment Target dialog.
To create a hardware
profile starting with a copy:
Or right-click a hardware profile and
select Clone.
3.
Click Finish.
Your new hardware profile
appears in the Select Hardware page. You can optionally create an AVD that uses the hardware
profile by clicking Next. Or, click Cancel to return to the Your
Virtual Devices page or Select Deployment Target dialog.
Edit existing AVDs
·
To delete an AVD, right-click an AVD and select Delete.
Or click Menu and select Delete.
and select Delete.
·
To show the associated AVD .ini and .img files on disk, right-click an AVD and
select Show on Disk. Or click Menu and select Show on Disk.
and select Show on Disk.
·
To view AVD configuration details that you can include in
any bug reports to the Android Studio team, right-click an AVD and select View
Details. Or click Menu and select View Details.
and select View Details.
Edit existing hardware profiles
From the Select Hardware page, you can perform
the following operations on an existing hardware profile:
·
To edit a hardware profile, select it and click Edit
Device. Or right-click a hardware profile and select Edit. Next, make your changes.
·
To delete a hardware profile, right-click it and select Delete.
You can't edit or delete
the predefined hardware profiles.
Run and stop an emulator, and clear data
·
To run an emulator that uses an AVD, double-click the
AVD. Or click Launch
.
.
·
To stop a running emulator, right-click an AVD and select
Stop. Or click Menu and select Stop.
and select Stop.
·
To clear the data for an emulator, and return it to the
same state as when it was first defined, right-click an AVD and select Wipe
Data. Or click Menu and select Wipe Data.
and select Wipe Data.
Import and export hardware profiles
·
To import a hardware profile, click Import Hardware
Profiles and select the XML file containing the definition on your
computer.
·
To export a hardware profile, right-click it and select Export.
Specify the location where you want to store the XML file containing the
definition.
Hardware profile properties
You can specify the following properties of hardware
profiles in the Configure Hardware Profile page. AVD configuration
properties override hardware profile properties, and emulator properties that
you set while the emulator is running override them both.
The predefined hardware
profiles included with the AVD Manager aren't editable. However, you can copy
them and edit the copies.
Hardware Profile Property
|
Description
|
Device Name
|
Name of the hardware profile. The name
can contain uppercase or lowercase letters, numbers from 0 to 9, periods (.),
underscores (_), parentheses ( () ), and spaces. The name of the file storing
the hardware profile is derived from the hardware profile name.
|
Device Type
|
Select one of the following:
·
Phone/Tablet
·
Android Wear
·
Android TV
|
Screen
Size
|
The
physical size of the screen, in inches, measured at the diagonal. If the size
is larger than your computer screen, it’s reduced in size at launch.
|
Screen
Resolution
|
Type
a width and height in pixels to specify the total number of pixels on the
simulated screen.
|
Round
|
Select
this option if the device has a round screen, such as some Android Wear
devices.
|
Memory:
RAM
|
Type
a RAM size for the device and select the units, one of B (byte), KB
(kilobyte), MB (megabyte), GB (gigabyte), or TB (terabyte).
|
Input:
Has Hardware Buttons (Back/Home/Menu)
|
Select
this option if your device has hardware navigation buttons. Deselect it if
these buttons are implemented in software only. If you select this option,
the buttons won’t appear on the screen. You can use the emulator side panel
to "press" the buttons, in either case.
|
Input:
Has Hardware Keyboard
|
Select
this option if your device has a hardware keyboard. Deselect it if it
doesn’t. If you select this option, a keyboard won’t appear on the screen.
You can use your computer keyboard to send keystrokes to the emulator, in
either case.
|
Navigation
Style
|
Select
one of the following:
·
None - No hardware controls. Navigation is through the
software.
·
D-pad - Directional Pad support.
·
Trackball
·
Wheel
These
options are for actual hardware controls on the device itself. However, the
events sent to the device by an external controller are the same.
|
Supported
Device States
|
Select
one or both options:
·
Portrait - Oriented taller than wide.
·
Landscape - Oriented wider than tall.
If
you select both, you can switch between orientations in the emulator. You
must select at least one option to continue.
|
Cameras
|
To
enable the camera, select one or both options:
·
Back-Facing Camera - The lens faces away from the user.
·
Front-Facing Camera - The lens faces toward the user.
Later,
you can use a webcam or a photo provided by the emulator to simulate taking a
photo with the camera.
|
Sensors:
Accelerometer
|
Select
if the device has hardware that helps the device determine its orientation.
|
Sensors:
Gyroscope
|
Select
if the device has hardware that detects rotation or twist. In combination
with an accelerometer, it can provide smoother orientation detection and
support a six-axis orientation system.
|
Sensors:
GPS
|
Select
if the device has hardware that supports the Global Positioning System (GPS)
satellite-based navigation system.
|
Sensors:
Proximity Sensor
|
Select
if the device has hardware that detects if the device is close to your face
during a phone call to disable input from the screen.
|
Default
Skin
|
Select
a skin that controls what the device looks like when displayed in the
emulator. Remember that specifying a screen size that's too big for the
resolution can mean that the screen is cut off, so you can't see the whole
screen. See Create an
emulator skin for more information.
|
AVD properties
You can specify the following properties for AVD
configurations in the Verify Configuration page. The AVD
configuration specifies the interaction between the development computer and
the emulator, as well as properties you want to override in the hardware
profile.
AVD configuration
properties override hardware profile properties. Emulator properties that you
set while the emulator is running override them both.
AVD Property
|
Description
|
AVD Name
|
Name of the AVD. The name can contain
uppercase or lowercase letters, numbers from 0 to 9, periods (.), underscores
(_), parentheses ( () ), dashes (-), and spaces. The name of the file storing
the AVD configuration is derived from the AVD name.
|
AVD ID (Advanced)
|
The AVD filename is derived from the ID,
and you can use the ID to refer to the AVD from the command line.
|
Hardware Profile
|
|
System Image
|
Click Change to select a different
system image in the System Image
page. An active internet connection is required to download a new image.
|
Startup Orientation
|
Select
one option for the initial emulator orientation:
·
Portrait - Oriented taller than wide.
·
Landscape - Oriented wider than tall.
An
option is enabled only if it’s selected in the hardware profile. When running
the AVD in the emulator, you can change the orientation if both portrait and
landscape are supported in the hardware profile.
|
Camera
(Advanced)
|
To
enable a camera, select one or both options:
·
Front - The lens faces away from the user.
·
Back - The lens faces toward the user.
The
Emulated setting produces a software-generated image, while the Webcam
setting uses your development computer webcam to take a picture.
This
option is available only if it's selected in the hardware profile; it's not
available for Android Wear and Android TV.
|
Network:
Speed (Advanced)
|
Select
a network protocol to determine the speed of data transfer:
·
GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications
·
HSCSD - High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data
·
GPRS - Generic Packet Radio Service
·
EDGE - Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution
·
UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
·
HSPDA - High-Speed Downlink Packet Access
·
Full (default) - Transfer data as quickly as your
computer allows.
|
Network:
Latency (Advanced)
|
Select
a network protocol to set how much time (delay) it takes for the protocol to
transfer a data packet from one point to another point.
|
Emulated
Performance: Graphics
|
Select
how graphics are rendered in the emulator:
·
Hardware - Use your computer graphics card for faster
rendering.
·
Software - Emulate the graphics in software, which is
useful if you're having a problem with rendering in your graphics card.
·
Automatic - Let the emulator decide the best option
based on your graphics card.
|
Multi-Core
CPU (Advanced)
|
Select
the number of processor cores on your computer that you’d like to use for the
emulator. Using more processor cores speeds up the emulator.
|
Memory
and Storage: RAM
|
The
amount of RAM on the device. This value is set by the hardware manufacturer,
but you can override it, if needed, such as for faster emulator operation.
Increasing the size uses more resources on your computer. Type a RAM size and
select the units, one of B (byte), KB (kilobyte), MB (megabyte), GB
(gigabyte), or TB (terabyte).
|
Memory
and Storage: VM Heap
|
The
VM heap size. This value is set by the hardware manufacturer, but you can
override it, if needed. Type a heap size and select the units, one of B
(byte), KB (kilobyte), MB (megabyte), GB (gigabyte), or TB (terabyte). For
more information on Android VMs, see Memory Management
for Different Virtual Machines.
|
Memory
and Storage: Internal Storage
|
The
amount of nonremovable memory space available on the device. This value is
set by the hardware manufacturer, but you can override it, if needed. Type a
size and select the units, one of B (byte), KB (kilobyte), MB (megabyte), GB
(gigabyte), or TB (terabyte).
|
Memory
and Storage: SD Card
|
The
amount of removable memory space available to store data on the device. To
use a virtual SD card managed by Android Studio, select Studio-managed,
type a size, and select the units, one of B (byte), KB (kilobyte), MB
(megabyte), GB (gigabyte), or TB (terabyte). A minimum of 100 MB is
recommended to use the camera. To manage the space in a file, select External
file and click ... to specify the file and location. For more
information, see mksdcard
and AVD data
directory.
|
Device
Frame: Enable Device Frame
|
Select
to enable a frame around the emulator window that mimics the look of a real
device.
|
Custom
Skin Definition (Advanced)
|
Select
a skin that controls what the device looks like when displayed in the
emulator. Remember that specifying a screen size that's too big for the skin
can mean that the screen is cut off, so you can't see the whole screen. See Create an
emulator skin for more information.
|
Keyboard:
Enable Keyboard Input (Advanced)
|
Select
this option if you want to use your hardware keyboard to interact with the
emulator. It's disabled for Android Wear and Android TV.
|
Create an emulator skin
An Android emulator skin
is a collection of files that define the visual and control elements of an
emulator display. If the skin definitions available in the AVD settings don't
meet your requirements, you can create your own custom skin definition, and then
apply it to your AVD.
Each emulator skin
contains:
·
A hardware.ini file
·
Layout files for supported orientations (landscape,
portrait) and physical configuration
·
Image files for display elements, such as background,
keys and buttons
To create and use a custom
skin:
1.
Create a new directory where you will save your skin
configuration files.
2.
Define the visual appearance of the skin in a text file
named layout. This file defines many
characteristics of the skin, such as the size and image assets for specific
buttons. For example:
parts {
device {
display {
width 320
height 480
x 0
y 0
}
}
device {
display {
width 320
height 480
x 0
y 0
}
}
portrait {
background {
image background_port.png
}
buttons {
power {
image button_vertical.png
x 1229
y 616
}
}
}
...
background {
image background_port.png
}
buttons {
power {
image button_vertical.png
x 1229
y 616
}
}
}
...
}
3.
Add the bitmap files of the device images in the same
directory.
4.
Specify additional hardware-specific device
configurations in a hardware.ini file for the device settings, such as hw.keyboard and hw.lcd.density.
5.
Archive the files in the skin folder and select the
archive file as a custom skin.