Android Studio for Platform release notes

Android Studio for Platform (ASfP) is the official IDE for Android platform development. This page summarizes the latest features, platform-specific enhancements, and quality improvements available in ASfP.

2026 platform feature drops (Rabbit | 2026.2 and Panda 2 | 2025.3.2)

Built on the IntelliJ 2026.2 base platform, recent releases of ASfP deliver major improvements to project setup and startup reliability, Soong build integration, AI agent capabilities, Cuttlefish virtual device management, C, C++, Rust, and hybrid debugging, and platform testing.

Project setup, templates, and sync performance

  • Workspace Model project architecture: Project construction has been migrated to the IntelliJ Workspace Model APIs, streamlining initial project setup and improving IDE stability across large AOSP source trees.
  • Instant startup with project model snapshots: ASfP now caches and restores your project model from snapshots on startup, eliminating redundant initial indexing delays when reopening large AOSP workspaces.
  • Shareable project templates (import and export):
    • Import from template: Bootstrap a new AOSP project in the setup wizard by selecting Import from template and pointing to a shared .asfp-project YAML file.
    • Export to template: Share your project configuration with teammates by right-clicking the .asfp-project editor tab (or from the ASfP > Project menu) and selecting Export to Template.
  • Enhanced setup wizard options: Configure custom build Environment Variables and enable Soong Partial Compile (SOONG_PARTIAL_COMPILE) directly during project creation.
  • Flexible sync modes:
    • Partial Sync: Sync specific modules or directories without running a full repository sync.
    • No-Build Sync: Refresh IDE project structure and module roots quickly without triggering a Soong build.
    • Sync and Full Build: Trigger a combined project sync and full Soong build in a single action.
  • Optimized search scopes and symlink support: Contents inside the out/ directory and generated gen IMLs are automatically excluded from project search scopes to keep file and symbol lookups fast and noise-free. ASfP also supports symlinked source roots across AOSP repositories.

In-editor Android.bp build, deploy, and editor intelligence

  • Build, run, and debug gutter icons in Android.bp: Every named module in Android.bp includes a Build gutter icon next to name:, while test modules (*_test and *_test_host) and android_app modules include a Run gutter icon to run or debug targets directly from the editor.
  • Contextual deploy and flash run configurations: Create and launch Soong Deploy run configurations from deployable targets in Android.bp files, supporting deployment through adb, custom shell scripts, adevice, or flashall with pre-run Soong build hooks.
  • Open Corresponding Android.bp File and editor intelligence: Right-click any source file or directory and select Open Corresponding Android.bp File to jump to its module declaration (resolving defaults chains, globs, and symlinks). Inside Android.bp, Ctrl+click module or srcs references, view clickable N Usages inlay hints, and hold the pointer over properties (including scoped target.*, arch.*, and multilib.* properties) for inline Soong documentation.
  • Dedicated Soong tool window: Monitor Soong sync and build progress with task status indicators, trigger build actions, and run Soong commands from the Soong tool window.

Cuttlefish virtual device management and multi-screen mirroring

  • Multidevice setup in Device Manager: Create and manage multidevice Cuttlefish virtual device setups directly in Device Manager using your local AOSP checkout.
  • Multi-screen display mirroring in the Cuttlefish tool window: Use built-in Cuttlefish multi-screen display mirroring in the dedicated Cuttlefish tool window—built for multi-display Android Automotive OS (AAOS) and Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) development.

AI in Android Studio and Built-in Agent for platform development

  • Built-in Agent with Soong build and test tools: AI in Android Studio integrates platform-specific Soong build and atest execution tools into the Built-in Agent, allowing the agent to plan multi-step edits, compile Soong targets, and run atest platform tests with structured results inline.
  • Enterprise and BYOM support: Access AI in Android Studio using built-in Gemini models, Gemini Code Assist, Gemini Enterprise licenses, or connect custom model endpoints using Bring Your Own Model (BYOM) with your own API keys.

Platform debugging (Attach tab in the Debug tool window and LLDB)

  • Pinned Attach tab (Run > Attach to Android Process):
    • Loaded shared libraries (Libraries), Build ID, and symbols: Inspect loaded .so libraries and 8-character ELF Build IDs before attaching. ASfP matches each Build ID against out/target/product/<device>/symbols (symbols/.build-id index), displaying a checkmark icon when verified (hold the pointer over a verified row to view the resolved .debug path) or a warning icon if symbols are missing.
    • Java, C++, and Rust attach: Select Java debugger, Native debugger, or both to open linked <process> (<pid>) and <process> (<pid>)-jdwp debug tabs. Selecting a C++ or Rust service hides Java debugger and displays Java debugging unavailable, not a Java process.
    • One-click Root Device and Enable JDWP: Filter with Show system processes, click Root Device to run adb root (Device is rooted), or click Enable JDWP to set persist.debug.dalvik.vm.jdwp.enabled=1 and reboot userdebug devices.
  • LLDB debugger enhancements, Rust visualizers, and ART signal pass-through:
    • Built-in lldb-dap sessions support conditional breakpoints, C++ and Rust exception breakpoints, inline variable values in the editor, Drop Frame, smart Step Into, and automatic Rust pretty-printers (String, Vec, HashMap, Option) from AOSP prebuilts.
    • Attaching LLDB to ART and JNI processes automatically passes through internal ART SIGSEGV and SIGBUS null-check or GC signals without spurious stops.
    • rust-analyzer is auto-detected from prebuilts/rust-toolchain/linux-x86/stable/rust-analyzer (with fallback to prebuilts/rust/linux-x86/stable/rust-analyzer), and spurious 'proc-macro' not found notifications on generated out/soong/.intermediates files are suppressed.

Platform testing and cc_test and rust_test debugging

  • Debug android_test, cc_test, and rust_test targets: Launch debug sessions from Android.bp or test method gutter icons:
    • android_test modules launch using atest --wait-for-debugger and attach the Java debugger.
    • cc_test, cc_test_host, rust_test, and rust_test_host modules launch directly under built-in LLDB using Build Native Test Module and Deploy with atest (atest --collect-tests-only --disable-teardown) before-launch tasks.
  • Dual-target host_supported: true and per-machine LLDB templates: For cc_test and rust_test modules with host_supported: true, both Run on: Device and Host radio buttons are enabled in Soong Test configurations with independent per-target LLDB settings cards, Program arguments, atest arguments, and Launch JSON (DAP Settings).

In-IDE updates and platform quality

  • Automatic in-IDE update notifications: Starting with ASfP 2026.2.2 Canary 1, ASfP automatically checks for new releases in the background and notifies you in the IDE through the Android Studio and Plugin Updates dialog, with a Download button for the latest .deb package and terminal installation instructions. Check for updates at any time using Help > Check for Updates.
  • Persistent -current-linux.deb channel links: For automated scripts and command-line setups, the latest Stable and Canary packages are accessible at persistent URLs: https://dl.google.com/android/asfp/asfp-current-linux.deb (Stable) and https://dl.google.com/android/asfp/asfp-canary-current-linux.deb (Canary).
  • On-disk version mismatch detection: ASfP detects when the underlying .deb installation on disk has been updated while the IDE is running and prompts you with a notification to restart cleanly.
  • Default AOSP copyright and commit inspections: Includes a pre-configured default AOSP copyright header profile and commit message formatting inspections tailored for platform contributions.
  • Increased default memory allocation: Default maximum heap size has been increased from 20 GB to 30 GB to support large AOSP source trees.