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 Iguana | 2023.2.1 Stable
Android Gradle plugin 8.3.0 Stable
Android Studio Jellyfish | 2023.3.1 Beta
Android Studio Koala | 2023.3.2 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 Jellyfish | 2023.3.1

The following are new features in Android Studio Jellyfish | Android Studio Jellyfish. To see what's been fixed in this version of Android Studio, see the closed issues.

Introducing Studio Bot

Studio Bot is your coding companion for Android development. It's an AI-powered conversational experience in Android Studio that helps you be more productive by answering Android development queries. To learn more, see Meet Studio Bot.

Access real devices with Device Streaming in Android Studio

Device Streaming in Android Studio lets you securely connect to remote physical Android devices hosted in Google's secure data centers. Powered by Firebase, it's the fastest and easiest way to test your app against real devices, including the Google Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Fold, select Samsung devices, and more.

Animation of using Device Streaming in Android Studio.

After connecting to a device, you can deploy your app, view the display, interact with the device (including rotating or unfolding the device), and anything else you might do with a device over a direct ADB over SSL connection—all without leaving Android Studio. When you're done using the device, Google wipes all your data and factory resets the device before making it available to another developer.

During the current open alpha, you can use device streaming at no cost with Firebase projects on either a Spark or Blaze plan. To get started sign into your Developer account from Android Studio and select a Firebase project. If you don't already have a Firebase project, it's easy to create one. To learn more, go to Device Streaming in Android Studio.

New Sign-in flow

When you sign into Android Studio with your Developer account, you benefit from Google developer services—such as viewing Firebase Crashlytics and Android Vitals reports in App Quality Insights, accessing real remote devices with Device Streaming in Android Studio, and writing higher-quality code with Studio Bot—directly from the IDE.

Android Studio Jellyfish makes it easier to add and manage accounts, and provide the IDE with only the permissions required for each feature. To get started do one of the following:

  • Navigate to one of the features mentioned previously and follow the prompts to sign in and provide necessary permissions
  • If you're already signed in, you can manage your accounts and permissions by navigating to Settings/Preferences > Tools > Google Accounts.

New colorblind checks in Compose UI Check

Compose UI Check includes new colorblind simulations and checks, empowering you to craft visually accessible experiences for all users. Simply enter UI Check mode from Compose Preview to view your Compose UI in different types of color vision deficiencies to ensure your designs remain clear and usable.

Compose UI Check Colorblind example

Redirect audio using device mirroring

Starting with Android Studio Jellyfish Canary 5, you can redirect audio from connected physical devices to your computer speakers or headphones. With audio redirection, keep your headphones connected to your computer and listen to both the computer and connected phone without having to manually reconnect to one device and then another. To enable audio redirection, go to Android Studio > Settings > Tools > Device Mirroring and select Redirect audio from local devices. Note that audio is always redirected, regardless of the settings, for Firebase Test Lab devices running Android 12 or higher.

Baseline Profile installation

Android Studio Jellyfish automatically compiles Baseline Profiles after installation on device for projects that use AGP 8.4 or higher. This covers Baseline Profiles that have been generated through a Baseline Profile Generator module or from libraries like Compose. The automatic installation lets you experience the performance benefits of Baseline Profiles when installing your release app locally, and when using low overhead profiling.

Android Gradle Plugin behavior changes

Starting with Android Gradle Plugin 8.4.0-alpha04, if an Android library project is minified, shrunk program classes will be published for inter-project publishing. This means that if an application depends on the shrunk version of the Android library subprojects, the APK will include shrunk Android library classes. You may need to adjust library keep rules in case there are missing classes in the APK.

In case you are building and publishing an AAR, local jars that your library depends on will be included unshrunk in the AAR, which means code shrinker won't run on them.

To revert to previous behavior, set android.disableMinifyLocalDependenciesForLibraries in gradle.properties and file a bug. Future versions of AGP will remove this flag.

Android Studio Koala | 2023.3.2

The following are new features in Android Studio Koala | 2023.3.2. To see what's been fixed in this version of Android Studio, see the closed issues.

Launch Android Studio in Safe Mode

Android Studio now offers the ability to launch Android Studio in Safe Mode. This mode can be useful if you run into a situation where certain features don't work or the entire IDE fails to launch, which can sometimes be caused by custom configurations, environment variables, or plugins that are incompatible with Android Studio.

Using Safe Mode temporarily returns the IDE to a set of default configurations that might allow it to launch, so that you can troubleshoot from there to identify the issue and restore functionality. Safe Mode attempts to open Android Studio with limited functionality by taking actions including the following:

  • Disables third-party plugins
  • Restores bundled Kotlin plugin to the version originally included with Studio
  • Temporarily resets configurations, for example in the studio.vmoptions file
  • Validates environment variables that can prevent startup, such as JRE_HOME and TMP
  • Reverts the JRE to a compatible version if needed

To launch Android Studio in Safe Mode, follow these steps:

  1. Find the Safe Mode script.
    • On Windows, navigate to AndroidStudio/bin and find the studio_safe.bat script.
    • On macOS, navigate to Android Studio/Contents/bin and find the studio_safe.sh script.
    • On Linux, navigate to android-studio/bin and find the studio_safe.sh script.
  2. Run the script: open the command line and type studio_safe.bat (studio_safe.sh for macOS or Linux), and press Enter.

Build a Generative AI app using the Gemini API template

You can now use Android Studio to build an app that implements Generative AI using the Google AI SDK. The Gemini API template in Android Studio lets you incorporate AI-powered features, such as those that rely on text generation and image recognition, in your app to delight your users.

To learn how to get started, see Build your first Generative AI app in Android Studio.