Android API reference
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Start building your Android app with the Android Platform APIs. They are available in
Kotlin and Java.
Note: Many Kotlin reference topics are derived from Java-based source code.
This means that some Kotlin reference topics might contain Java code snippets.
These additional libraries make it easy to add additional functionality and features to your app.
Jetpack
- AndroidX
- Refactored versions of the Android APIs that are not bundled with the
operating system.
Reference
User Guide
- Jetpack Compose
- Jetpack Compose is a modern toolkit for building native Android UI.
Jetpack Compose simplifies and accelerates UI development on Android with
less code, powerful tools, and intuitive Kotlin APIs.
Reference
User Guide
- AndroidX Constraint Layout
- Includes
ConstraintLayout and related APIs for
building constraint-based layouts.
Reference
User Guide
- For
ConstraintLayout in Compose.
Reference
- Databinding Library
- Includes APIs to help you write declarative layouts and minimize the glue
code necessary to bind your application logic and layouts.
Reference
User Guide
Device Libraries
- Android Automotive Library
- Provides APIs for building Android Automotive apps.
Reference
User Guide
- Watch Face Format
- Provides APIs for creating watch faces on Wear OS devices.
Reference
User Guide
Other Libraries
- Material Components
- Material Components for Android (MDC-Android) help developers
execute Material Design to build beautiful and functional Android
apps.
Reference
User Guide
- Android NDK
- The Android NDK is a toolset that lets you implement parts of your app in native code, using
languages such as C and C++.
Reference
User Guide
- Android Game Development Kit libraries
- The Android Game Development Kit C/C++ game libraries make it easier to build,
debug, optimize, and maintain your games.
Overview
- Android Gradle Plugin
- The Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) is the supported build system for Android applications and
includes support for compiling many different types of sources and linking them together into an
application that you can run on a physical Android device or an emulator.
Reference
User Guide
Cross device SDK
The Cross device SDK simplifies the development of rich and engaging multi-device experiences.
Its core functionality includes device discovery and authorization, secure connections and data
transfers, and multi-device sessions.
Reference
User Guide
Google Play
- Play In-app Billing Library
- Provides APIs to help you implement Google Play's in-app
billing and subscription features.
Reference
User Guide
- Play Core Library
- Provides APIs to help you request, monitor, and manage on demand downloads
for Play Feature Delivery, Play Asset Delivery, and offers additional APIs such as in-app
updates and in-app reviews. This library is available in
Java,
Native code,
Unity and
Unreal Engine.
- Play Install Referrer library
- Provides APIs to securely retrieve referral content from Google Play.
Reference
- Google Play Games Services Unity Plugin API (v2)
- Provides the Google Play Games Services Unity Plugin API for developers.
It is meant for developers who use the Unity Plugin (v2) implementation for their game.
Reference
- Google Play Games Services Web REST API
- Provides APIs for developers to enhance games with social leaderboards, achievements,
game state, sign-in with Google, and more.
Reference
- Google Play Games Services C++ API (v1)
- Provides the Google Play Games Services C++ API for use with Google Play Game services. It is
meant for developers who have an existing C++ implementation of their game.
Reference
- Google Play Games Services Management API
- Provides the Google Play Games Services Management API to issue REST calls to
programmatically control the metadata underlying the Google Play Games Services features.
This API simplifies your testing of Google Play games services features and gives you flexibility
when managing your games to address cheating and fix player accounts.
Reference
- Google Play Games Services Publishing API
- Provides APIs that allows you to automate frequent tasks having to do with games production
and distribution.
Reference
Google Assistant
- Built-in Intents
- Let users launch and control your Android app with their voice, using Google Assistant and
App Actions.
Deprecated Libraries
These libraries are superseded by the
AndroidX libraries
and are no longer maintened. They are still shipped in the SDK to support legacy apps. For more
information see the
androidx migration guide.
- Android Support Library
- Provided a variety of Android feature and utility APIs
that are compatible with a wide range of platform versions.
The original library is superseded by the
AndroidX libraries.
- Android Test Support Library
- Includes APIs for testing your Android app, including
Espresso, JUnit Runner, JUnit4 rules, and UI Automator.
The original library is superseded by the
AndroidX Test library.
- Architecture Components
- Includes APIs for a variety of core app components, such as
APIs that manage your UI component lifecycle,
data persistence, view model, and more.
The original library is superseded by the
AndroidX libraries.
- Constraint Layout Library
- Legacy Support Library
ConstraintLayout and related APIs
for building constraint-based layouts.
The original library is superseded by the
AndroidX constraintlayout library.
- Android Things Library
- Provided APIs to build connected devices running the Android Things platform.
The original library is no longer
maintained.
Android Wearable Library
Provides APIs to build apps for wearable devices running Wear OS by Google.
The original library is superseded
by the AndroidX Wear libraries.
Content and code samples on this page are subject to the licenses described in the Content License. Java and OpenJDK are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
Last updated 2025-08-07 UTC.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-07 UTC."],[],[],null,["# Android API reference\n\nStart building your Android app with the Android Platform APIs. They are available in\n[Kotlin](/reference/kotlin/packages) and [Java](/reference/packages).\n\n\n**Note:** Many Kotlin reference topics are derived from Java-based source code.\nThis means that some Kotlin reference topics might contain Java code snippets.\n\nThese additional libraries make it easy to add additional functionality and features to your app.\n\nJetpack\n-------\n\nAndroidX\n: Refactored versions of the Android APIs that are not bundled with the\n operating system. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/kotlin/androidx/packages)\n [**User Guide**](/jetpack/getting-started)\n\nJetpack Compose\n\n: Jetpack Compose is a modern toolkit for building native Android UI.\n Jetpack Compose simplifies and accelerates UI development on Android with\n less code, powerful tools, and intuitive Kotlin APIs. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/kotlin/androidx/compose)\n [**User Guide**](/jetpack/compose/tutorial)\n\nAndroidX Constraint Layout\n: Includes `ConstraintLayout` and related APIs for\n building constraint-based layouts. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/packages)\n [**User Guide**](/training/constraint-layout)\n: For `ConstraintLayout` in Compose. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/kotlin/androidx/constraintlayout/compose/package-summary)\n\nMaterial Components\n: Material Components for Android *(MDC-Android)* help developers\n execute Material Design to build beautiful and functional Android\n apps. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/com/google/android/material/packages)\n [**User Guide**](/guide/topics/ui/look-and-feel)\n\nAndroid NDK\n: The Android NDK is a toolset that lets you implement parts of your app in native code, using\n languages such as C and C++. \n\n [**Reference**](/ndk/reference)\n [**User Guide**](/ndk)\n\nAndroid Game Development Kit libraries\n: The Android Game Development Kit C/C++ game libraries make it easier to build,\n debug, optimize, and maintain your games. \n\n [**Overview**](/games/agdk/libraries-overview)\n\nAndroid Gradle Plugin\n: The Android Gradle Plugin (AGP) is the supported build system for Android applications and\n includes support for compiling many different types of sources and linking them together into an\n application that you can run on a physical Android device or an emulator. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/tools/gradle-api)\n [**User Guide**](/studio/build)\nCross device SDK The Cross device SDK simplifies the development of rich and engaging multi-device experiences. Its core functionality includes device discovery and authorization, secure connections and data transfers, and multi-device sessions. \n[**Reference**](/reference/kotlin/crossdevice/packages) [**User Guide**](/guide/topics/connectivity/cross-device-sdk/overview)\n\nGoogle Play\n-----------\n\nPlay In-app Billing Library\n: Provides APIs to help you implement Google Play's in-app\n billing and subscription features. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/com/android/billingclient/packages)\n [**User Guide**](/google/play/billing)\n\nPlay Core Library\n: Provides APIs to help you request, monitor, and manage on demand downloads\n for Play Feature Delivery, Play Asset Delivery, and offers additional APIs such as in-app\n updates and in-app reviews. This library is available in\n [Java](/reference/com/google/android/play/core/packages),\n [Native code](/reference/native/play/core),\n [Unity](/reference/unity) and\n [Unreal Engine](/reference/unreal-engine/play/core).\n\nPlay Install Referrer library\n: Provides APIs to securely retrieve referral content from Google Play. \n\n [**Reference**](/reference/com/android/installreferrer/packages)\n\nGoogle Play Games Services Unity Plugin API (v2)\n: Provides the Google Play Games Services Unity Plugin API for developers.\n It is meant for developers who use the Unity Plugin (v2) implementation for their game. \n\n [**Reference**](/games/services/unity/v2/api)\n\nGoogle Play Games Services Web REST API\n: Provides APIs for developers to enhance games with social leaderboards, achievements,\n game state, sign-in with Google, and more. \n\n [**Reference**](/games/services/web/api/rest)\n\nGoogle Play Games Services C++ API (v1)\n: Provides the Google Play Games Services C++ API for use with Google Play Game services. It is\n meant for developers who have an existing C++ implementation of their game. \n\n [**Reference**](/games/services/cpp/api)\n\nGoogle Play Games Services Management API\n: Provides the Google Play Games Services Management API to issue REST calls to\n programmatically control the metadata underlying the Google Play Games Services features.\n This API simplifies your testing of Google Play games services features and gives you flexibility\n when managing your games to address cheating and fix player accounts. \n\n [**Reference**](/games/services/management/api)\n\nGoogle Play Games Services Publishing API\n: Provides APIs that allows you to automate frequent tasks having to do with games production\n and distribution. \n\n [**Reference**](/games/services/publishing/api)\n\nGoogle Assistant\n----------------\n\nBuilt-in Intents\n: Let users launch and control your Android app with their voice, using Google Assistant and\n [App Actions](/reference/app-actions/built-in-intents).\n\nDeprecated Libraries\n--------------------\n\nThese libraries are superseded by the [AndroidX](/reference/androidx/packages) libraries and are no longer maintened. They are still shipped in the SDK to support legacy apps. For more information see the [androidx migration guide](/jetpack/androidx/migrate).\n\nAndroid Support Library\n: Provided a variety of Android feature and utility APIs\n that are compatible with a wide range of platform versions.\n The [original library](/reference/android/support/packages) is superseded by the\n [AndroidX](/reference/androidx/packages) libraries.\n\nAndroid Test Support Library\n: Includes APIs for testing your Android app, including\n Espresso, JUnit Runner, JUnit4 rules, and UI Automator.\n The [original library](/reference/android/support/test/packages) is superseded by the\n [AndroidX Test](/reference/androidx/test/platform/app/package-summary) library.\n\nArchitecture Components\n: Includes APIs for a variety of core app components, such as\n APIs that manage your UI component lifecycle,\n data persistence, view model, and more.\n The [original library](/reference/android/arch/packages) is superseded by the\n [AndroidX](/reference/androidx/packages) libraries.\n\nConstraint Layout Library\n: Legacy Support Library `ConstraintLayout` and related APIs\n for building constraint-based layouts.\n The [original library](/reference/android/support/constraint/packages) is superseded by the\n [AndroidX constraintlayout](/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/packages) library.\n\nAndroid Things Library\n: Provided APIs to build connected devices running the Android Things platform.\n The [original library](/reference/com/google/android/things/packages) is no longer\n maintained.\nAndroid Wearable Library Provides APIs to build apps for wearable devices running Wear OS by Google. The [original library](/reference/android/support/wearable/packages) is superseded by the [AndroidX Wear](/jetpack/androidx/releases/wear) libraries."]]
