Install Android Studio and setup the environment
1. Install the Java Development Kit
Download and install the Java Development Kit (JDK). Unity requires the 64-bit version JDK 8 (1.8).
2. Download the Android SDK(System Development Kit)
You can install the Android SDK using command line tools or through Android Studio. Android Studio provides an easy to use GUI based tool, but installs additional software on your computer. Using the command line tools is a smaller download and does not install additional software, but it can be more challenging to use.
2a. Install the Android SDK using the command line tools
Install or unpack the Android SDK. After installing, open the Android SDK Manager and add: at least one Android SDK Platform, the Platform Tools, the Build Tools, and the USB drivers if you’re using Windows.
To install an Android platform SDK and the associated tools:
- Download the Android Software command line tool.
- Unzip the tools folder to a location on your hard drive.
- Open a command-prompt window.
- Navigate to the bin folder in the location where you unzipped the tools folder: “install folder” > tools > bin
- Use the sdkmanager command line tool to retrieve the list of packages that you can install. The installable packages include the Platform SDKs, Build Tools, Platform tools, and other tools. sdkmanager –list
- Select a version of the Platform SDK to install. Platform SDKs take the following form in the list: platforms;android-xx. The xx indicates the SDK level. The larger the number, the newer the package. Typically, you can install the latest available version. But, there might be cases in which Google has released a new version of the SDK that causes errors when you build your Unity Project. In that case you must uninstall the SDK and install an earlier version. The general format of the command for package installation is sdkmanager <package name>. You can install the corresponding Platform Tools and Build Tools at the same time. Example: sdkmanager “platform-tools” “platforms;android–27” “build-tools;27.0.3”
- If you are running on Windows, install the USB device drivers. sdkmanager “extras;google;usb_driver”
This installs the SDK in a directory named “platforms” in the directory in which you unzipped the tools folder. Example: c:\<install folder>\platforms
2b. Install the SDK using Android Studio
Install Android studio from the Android developer portal. The Android developer portal provides detailed installation instructions.
Note: Android Studio provides some ease of use benefits, but it is not fully tested for compatibility with Unity installs. If you encounter errors, Unity recommends using the command line method.
When installing the Android platform SDK and other tools, you can typically install the latest available version. There might be cases in which Google has released a new version of the SDK that causes errors when you build your Unity Project. In that case you must uninstall the SDK and install an earlier version.
Install the associated Platform and Build tools at the same time. If you are running on Windows, install the USB device drivers.
3. Enable USB debugging on your device
To enable USB debugging, you must enable Developer options on your device. To do this, find the build number in your device’s Settings menu. The location of the build number varies between devices. The stock Android setting can be found by navigating to Settings > About phone > Build number. For specific information on your device and Android version, refer to your hardware manufacturer.
Note: On Android versions prior to 4.2 (Jelly Bean), the Developer options aren’t hidden. Go to Settings > Developer options, then enable USB debugging.
After you navigate to the build number using the instructions above, tap on the build number seven times. A pop-up notification saying “You are now X steps away from being a developer” appears, with “X” being a number that counts down with every additional tap. On the seventh tap, Developer options are unlocked.
Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable. If you are developing on a Windows computer, you might need to install the a device specific USB driver. See the manufacture web site for your device for additional information.
The setup process differs for Windows and macOS, and is explained in detail on the Android developer website. For more information on connecting your Android device to the SDK, refer to the Running Your App section of the Android Developer documentation.
Go to Settings > Developer options, and check the USB debugging checkbox to enable debug mode when the device is connected to a computer via USB.
