New features in Android Studio Preview

This page lists the new features introduced in Android Studio preview releases. The preview builds provide early access to the latest features and improvements in Android Studio. You can download these preview versions here. If you encounter any problems using a preview version of Android Studio, please let us know. Your bug reports help to make Android Studio better.

For the latest news on Android Studio preview releases, including a list of notable fixes in each preview release, see the Release Updates in the Android Studio blog.

Current versions of Android Studio

The following table lists the current versions of Android Studio and their respective channels.

Version Channel
Android Studio Ladybug Feature Drop | 2024.2.2 Stable
Android Gradle plugin 8.8.0 Stable
Android Studio Meerkat | 2024.3.1 Canary
Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop | 2024.3.2 Canary

Compatibility with Android Gradle plugin previews

Each preview version of Android Studio is published alongside a corresponding version of the Android Gradle plugin (AGP). Preview versions of Studio should work with any compatible stable version of AGP. However, if you're using a preview version of AGP, you must use the corresponding preview version of Studio (for example, Android Studio Chipmunk Canary 7 with AGP 7.2.0-alpha07). Attempts to use divergent versions (for example, Android Studio Chipmunk Beta 1 with AGP 7.2.0-alpha07) will cause a Sync failure, which results in a prompt to update to the corresponding version of AGP.

For a detailed log of Android Gradle plugin API deprecations and removals, see the Android Gradle plugin API updates.

Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop | 2024.3.2

The following are new features in Android Studio Meerkat | 2024.3.1.

To see what's been fixed in this version of Android Studio, see the closed issues.

Prompt Library

Gemini in Android Studio's new Prompt Library feature enhances productivity by allowing you to save and manage frequently used prompts. Access the Prompt Library from Settings > Gemini > Prompt Library to store and retrieve prompts. You can also right-click on a prompt in chat to save it for later use. To apply a saved prompt, right-click in the Editor and navigate to Gemini > Prompt Library to apply the prompt. This streamlined workflow eliminates the need to retype commonly used prompts, saving developers time and effort.

Test and develop with app backup and restore

Ensuring Android Backup and Restore works properly for your app is a critical aspect of ensuring users stay engaged with your app after switching to a new device or restoring from the cloud. However, testing whether data backup and restore is working for your app can be difficult.

Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop provides ways for you to generate a backup for your app and restore it to another device. This can be useful for testing whether your app behaves as expected when restoring app data from device to device or from a cloud backup, or if you want a faster way to set up a test device with data you need to develop and debug your app.

Device requirements

Using Android Studio to test backup and restore works on both physical and virtual devices with Google Play services available. However, the device needs to be using the latest beta version of Google Play services. To enroll your device for the latest Beta version of Google Play services, follow these steps.

Generate a backup

To generate a backup file, do the following:

  1. Deploy a debug version of your app to a connected device
  2. Use one of the following actions to generate a backup:
    • From the Running Device window, click the Backup App Data action from the toolbar
    • Select Run > Backup App Data from the main menu bar
    • From the Device Explorer > Processes tab, right-click on the app process and select Backup App Data
  3. In the dialog that appears, do the following:
    • Confirm the application ID for the app you want to generate a backup for
    • Select whether you want to generate a Device to Device, Cloud, or Cloud (Unencrypted) backup
    • Confirm the name and location of the backup you want to save. By default, the backup is saved to the root directory of the current Android Studio project.
      Generate a backup for your app.
  4. Click Ok. To generate the backup, Android Studio must stop the app process.

You can view the backups that you generate in the Project > Android tool window under the Backup Files node.

Restore app data

To restore app data, do the following:

  1. Deploy your app to the connected device. The app should have the same application ID as the backup file you want to restore onto the device.
  2. Navigate to and click one of the following actions:
    • From the Running Device window, click the Restore App Data action from the toolbar, and select either a backup file from the recent history or click Browse.
    • Navigate to Run > Restore App Data from the main menu bar
    • From the Device Explorer > Processes tab, right-click on the app process and select Restore App Data.
    • From the Project > Android tool window, right-click on a backup under the Backup Files node and select Restore App Data
  3. If applicable, either select a backup from the recent history or click Browse... to select a backup file to restore from local storage.

Alternatively, you can include a backup file as part of a run configuration, so that deploying your app also restores the app data from a backup file. To do this, do the following:

  1. Navigate to Run > Edit Configurations...* from the main menu bar.
  2. Select an app run configuration and navigate to Restore options.
    Restore options in a run configuration.
  3. To restore an app from a backup, check the box next to Restore app state.
  4. Either select a backup file from recent history or browse and select the backup file from local storage.
  5. If you only want to restore app data on a fresh app installation, check the box next to Only restore on fresh apk install. This option can be helpful if you are deploying to a new test device and want to restore data to aid in debugging and app development.
  6. Click OK to save the run configuration.
  7. Deploy your app using the run configuration to test restoring your app data to a connected device.

Android Studio Meerkat | 2024.3.1

The following are new features in Android Studio Meerkat | 2024.3.1.

To see what's been fixed in this version of Android Studio, see the closed issues.

Compose Preview enhancements

Android Studio Meerkat includes some optimizations of Compose Preview to improve your workflow:

  1. Enhanced zoom: Enjoy smoother and more responsive zooming in your Compose Previews.
  2. Previews collapsible groups: Organize your preview surface more effectively! Collapse groups of composables under their titles, reducing clutter and making it easier to focus on specific components.
  3. View modes: To streamline your preview experience, Grid mode is the default view, Gallery mode is accessed by right-clicking preview, and List view has been removed. This provides a clearer and more organized way to view your composables.

These enhancements make it easier than ever to build and iterate on your Compose UIs.

Collapsible groups in Compose Previews
Collapsible groups in Compose Previews.

KMP Shared Module integration with Android applications

Android Studio now includes a new module template for adding shared logic to your app using Kotlin Multi-Platform (KMP). To try out this feature, follow these steps to create a KMP Shared Module in a newly created Android app:

  1. Make sure you're using the latest version of Android Studio Meerkat and that your app uses the latest version of Android Gradle Plugin.
  2. Open Android Studio and create a new Android project with the Empty Activity template.
  3. Switch from the Android view to the Project view to access the project structure.
  4. Click the New button in the Project view and select Kotlin Multiplatform Module from the options. Choose Shared Module as the type and keep the default settings.
  5. Open the build.gradle.kts file in the Android app directory and add a dependency on the shared module.

  6. In the shared module, edit the Platform.android.kt file and add the following line of code:

    actual fun platform() = "Android from Shared KMP Module"

  7. Open the MainActivity.kt file in the Android app directory and modify it to call the platform() function from the shared module.

  8. Build the project and run the Android application. You should see the message, "Hello Android from Shared KMP Module!" displayed on the screen.

These shared modules contain shared business logic that can be used by both Android and iOS platforms.

Updated UX for adding virtual and remote devices to Device Manager

Android Studio improves the UX when creating a local virtual device or adding a device from Android Device Streaming.

To get started, click the + button from the Device Manager, and select either Create Virtual Device or Select Remote Devices.

When creating a new virtual device, new filters and recommendations make it easier to create a device configuration that fits your needs and performs the best on your workstation.

Identify and select the optimal system image for your virtual device using the UI.

Similarly, when selecting remote devices from Android Device Streaming, new filters make it easier to find and select the devices you need. You now only need to click the Firebase button at the top of the Device Manager window to select the Firebase project you want to use for Android Device Streaming.

New Gemini in Android Studio features

Android Studio Meerkat introduces new features that use Gemini to help you be more productive. To use these features, enable sharing code context with Gemini in your current project.

Use the following links to learn more about these features:

Updated Build menu and actions

We made the following changes to the build actions and the Build menu to help make it easy to build exactly what you want as you work on projects in Android Studio:

  • Added a new Build 'run-configuration-name' Run Configuration action: This action builds the currently selected run configuration. For example, if you have the :app run configuration selected, the action will build and assemble app. If you have recently run a test on a device the action will build those tests.
  • Made Build 'run-configuration-name' Run Configuration the default Build action: To better match developer's intent, both the toolbar button and the shortcut Control/Command+F9 now execute the new Build run-configuration-name Run Configuration action.
  • Reordered build actions: We placed the new Build run-configuration-name action at the top of the Build menu, next the Compile actions, and next the "Assemble ..." actions (previous "Make ..." actions). We also renamed the "Rebuild Project" action to "Clean and Assemble Project with Tests" to more clearly reflect what the action does.
  • Used verbs that match what the build actions actually do: In addition to "Build" and "Compile" actions, we renamed Make Project to Assemble Project. We also introduced a new Assemble Project with Tests action to assemble test components as well.

Android Studio XR support available

Android Studio Meerkat | 2024.3.1 Canary 5 adds support for developers building immersive experiences with Jetpack XR! This release introduces tools to help you experiment, deploy, and debug XR applications with greater efficiency.

  • XR Template: Kickstart your XR development with a new project template specifically designed for Jetpack XR. This provides a solid foundation with code to begin your XR development journey.
  • XR Emulator: Test your XR applications without needing physical hardware! Create a standalone XR headset emulator using the AVD Manager to preview and debug your experiences in a virtual environment.
  • Layout Inspector for XR: Debug and optimize your Compose UI layouts within the XR environment. The Layout Inspector now supports XR applications, providing insights into your app's structure and helping you identify potential issues.

Android Studio XR support is still in its early stages, and we have many more exciting features planned. Please share your feedback and submit feature requests to help us shape the future of XR development in Android Studio!

Generate previews of composables using Gemini

Composable previews help you visualize your composables during design time in Android Studio. To make it easier for you to include mock data as preview parameters, Android Studio now supports an experimental feature: Compose preview generation with Gemini.

To access this tool, right-click any composable and navigate to Gemini > Generate "<Composable Name>" Preview. If the current file doesn't have any previews, right-click and navigate to Gemini > Generate Compose Preview.

While Gemini's generated code may not be perfect every time, it helps provide a valuable starting point to accelerate your development workflow.

Your feedback is crucial in helping us enhance accuracy and make this integration an even more powerful asset for Android developers.

Gemini appears about halfway down the right-click menu. Generate Preview appears near the bottom of the 2nd-level menu.
Gemini can generate Compose Preview for your composables.

Compose Preview Screenshot Testing tool

Use the Compose Preview Screenshot Testing tool to test your Compose UIs and prevent regressions. The new tool helps you generate HTML reports that let you visually detect any changes to your app's UI. Learn more at Compose Preview Screenshot Testing.

Google Play SDK Insights: Deprecated SDK warnings

SDK authors can now indicate when an SDK has been deprecated and mention alternative SDKs to use instead. If any of the SDKs used by your app have been deprecated by their authors, you'll see corresponding warnings in Android Studio along with information about other SDKs that can be used instead.

Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop | 2024.3.2

This canary release is Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop | 2024.3.2.

To see what's been fixed in this version of Android Studio, see the closed issues.