Android Studio is the official IDE for Android development, and includes everything you need to build Android apps.
This page lists new features and improvements in the latest version in the stable channel, Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop. You can download it here or update to it inside Android Studio by clicking Help > Check for updates (Android Studio > Check for updates on macOS)
This is a stable release of Android Studio. Note that patches might contain new minor features and bug fixes. See Android Studio release names to understand Android Studio version naming.
To see what's been fixed in this version of Android Studio, see the closed issues.
To view the release notes for older versions of Android Studio, see Past releases.
For early access to upcoming features and improvements, see the Preview builds of Android Studio.
If you encounter problems in Android Studio, check the Known issues or Troubleshoot page.
Android Gradle plugin and Android Studio compatibility
The Android Studio build system is based on Gradle, and the Android Gradle plugin (AGP) adds several features that are specific to building Android apps. The following table lists which version of AGP is required for each version of Android Studio.
| Android Studio version | Required AGP version |
|---|---|
| Meerkat Feature Drop | 2024.3.2 | 3.2-8.10 |
| Meerkat | 2024.3.1 | 3.2-8.9 |
| Ladybug Feature Drop | 2024.2.2 | 3.2-8.8 |
| Ladybug | 2024.2.1 | 3.2-8.7 |
| Koala Feature Drop | 2024.1.2 | 3.2-8.6 |
| Koala | 2024.1.1 | 3.2-8.5 |
| Jellyfish | 2023.3.1 | 3.2-8.4 |
| Iguana | 2023.2.1 | 3.2-8.3 |
| Hedgehog | 2023.1.1 | 3.2-8.2 |
| Giraffe | 2022.3.1 | 3.2-8.1 |
| Flamingo | 2022.2.1 | 3.2-8.0 |
Older versions
| Android Studio version | Required AGP version |
|---|---|
| Electric Eel | 2022.1.1 | 3.2-7.4 |
| Dolphin | 2021.3.1 | 3.2-7.3 |
| Chipmunk | 2021.2.1 | 3.2-7.2 |
| Bumblebee | 2021.1.1 | 3.2-7.1 |
| Arctic Fox | 2020.3.1 | 3.1-7.0 |
For information on what’s new in the Android Gradle plugin, see the Android Gradle plugin release notes.
Minimum versions of tools for Android API level
There are minimum versions of Android Studio and AGP that support a specific API
level. Using lower versions of Android Studio or AGP than required by your
project's targetSdk or compileSdk could lead to unexpected issues. We
recommend using the latest preview version of Android Studio and AGP to work on
projects that target preview versions of the Android OS. You can
install
preview versions of Android Studio alongside a stable version.
The minimum versions of Android Studio and AGP are as follows:
| API level | Minimum Android Studio version | Minimum AGP version |
|---|---|---|
| 36.0 | Meerkat | 2024.3.1 Patch 1 | 8.9.1 |
| 35 | Koala Feature Drop | 2024.2.1 | 8.6.0 |
| 34 | Hedgehog | 2023.1.1 | 8.1.1 |
| 33 | Flamingo | 2022.2.1 | 7.2 |
Android Studio and Cloud services compatibility
Android Studio includes service integrations that help you and your team make faster progress as you develop, release, and maintain Android apps. This includes Cloud services such as Gemini in Android Studio, Play Vitals, and Firebase Crashlytics. Cloud services are only available on the latest stable channel version of Android Studio, the three most recent previous major versions, and patches associated with those versions. When a version falls outside of that compatibility window, service integrations become disabled and you are required to update Android Studio.
Android Studio versions that are currently compatible with Cloud services
As of the stable channel release of Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop, all versions of Studio are compatible with Cloud services. Enforcement will begin with Android Studio Narwhal Feature Drop.
The following are new features in Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop.
Themed icon support
To ensure your app icon looks its best when users enable "Theme icons" in the Android 13 Developer Options, Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop | 2024.3.2 Canary 1 now lets you preview how your icon will look with the new theming algorithm.
For full control over your icon's appearance, you should provide
your own themed icon by
adding a custom monochromatic layer.
But even if you haven't done that yet, you can still use this new preview tool
to get an idea of how your icon will look and identify any potential color
contrast issues.
Android Studio config directories changing
Starting with Meerkat Feature Drop Canary 2, Android Studio uses the same user configurations across canary, beta, and stable releases. As a result, "Preview" has been dropped from the configuration directory path for Android Studio in canary and beta releases.
Additionally, to let feature drop releases run simultaneously with platform
update releases, we've added a micro version to the config directory path. For
example, AndroidStudio2024.3.2 is used instead of AndroidStudio2024.3.
See Export and import IDE settings if you'd like to import configurations manually.
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 store prompts at the IDE level or the project level:
- IDE-level prompts are private to yourself and can be used across multiple projects.
- Project-level prompts can be shared among teammates working on the same
project. To share prompts across the team you must add the
.ideafolder to the version control system.
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 you time and effort.
Motion editor deprecation
At Android Studio, we're continuously striving to provide developers with the most efficient and modern tools for building exceptional Android applications. As part of this commitment, we're deprecating the Motion Editor in Android Studio Meerkat Feature Drop.
For some time, the Motion Editor has served as a valuable tool for creating animations built with motion layout. However, with the rapid evolution of Jetpack Compose, we've recognized the immense potential of this modern UI toolkit for animation development. Compose offers a declarative and intuitive approach, simplifying the creation of smooth and engaging animations.
Jetpack Compose provides several key advantages:
- Modern and declarative:Compose's declarative syntax makes animation code more readable and maintainable.
- Integrated animation tools: Compose Animation Preview offers a streamlined workflow for creating and testing animations directly within your Compose code.
- Future-proof development: By focusing on Compose, we're investing in the future of Android UI development.
Our goal is to provide a unified and powerful animation experience within the Compose ecosystem. While the Motion Editor has been a valuable tool, we believe that Compose represents the future of Android animation. We want to focus our efforts on making Compose as good as it can be. We encourage you to learn more about building animations with Jetpack Compose and Compose animation tools.