Android OS is currently the most popular mobile operating system in the world. According to Gartner, Android currently holds 86.2% of the global market. Mobile app development for devices running on this OS is a promising and profitable work area for both companies and independent developers.
There are plenty of great tools to be used when developing Android mobile apps. This list will be useful for both beginners and experienced developers who can find something new for themselves here.
1. Android Studio
That is the official IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for Android OS development from the Google Corporation. The software supports all programming languages used for Android development. You can install it on devices running under Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Android Studio is supplied along with useful additional development tools like AVD Manager, Android Debug Bridge, a device emulator, and several other useful add-ons.
2. IntelliJ IDEA
That is a Java IDE with native Android support, developed by JetBrains to provide maximum productivity for software engineers. It is a good alternative to the official IDE for Android app development. Free and paid versions are available: US$14.90 for private use and US$49.90 for a corporate license.
Using IntelliJ IDEA, you receive access to the following features: smart code completion, on-the-fly code analysis, code refactoring tools, and other useful plug-ins provided by JetBrains.
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3. Firebase
Google’s comprehensive mobile and web development platform consists of several separate products exchanging data and info with each other. Firebase provides the tools as follows:
- mobile and web app management;
- analytics and data on conversions;
- crash reports;
- user authentication;
- device synchronization, etc.
4. LeakCanary
LeakCanary is a memory leak detection library for Android and Java, created by the Square processing company’s development team.
This tool offers an elegant solution to this issue. It identifies objects that are no longer necessary and finds a chain of links leading to them. After that, LeakCanary automatically notifies developers about memory leaks and allows them to promptly address the issue.
5. Stetho
That is an open-source library for quick app debugging. Due to the library, the app looks like a website. This approach allows you to debug your software, monitor its settings, track its activity, and perform several other tasks using Chrome DevTools.
6. Instabug
This tool takes app testing and error detection to a whole new level. Developers have access to screenshots, videos of user behavior, a detailed error log, performance monitoring, and other useful features.
7. Unity 3D
One of the most popular game development engines allows creating products for different platforms. Unity 3D is geared towards graphics-intensive mobile games and contains several specific features making this task easier. For instance, using it, you can develop projects featuring VR/AR content.
8. Visual Studio with Xamarin
Visual Studio is the official IDE provided by Microsoft. Developers use it to build apps for Windows, iOS, and Android. Xamarin modules make it easy to create cross-platform Android apps. At the same time, you can speed up your project for other platforms by reusing a specific chunk of code.
9. Framer
That is a multifunctional tool used to create high-quality mobile app prototypes. It allows creating both static and advanced interactive prototypes. Its available options are as follows:
- interactive design, minus the code
- multi-player editing
- inline commenting
- reusable components
- mobile preview and others.
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10. Shake
This tool is useful for detecting errors and studying user actions to reproduce errors. It allows collecting screenshots and video clips with errors. Testers just need to shake their devices to get a feedback form and send a bug report with a wider issue description if necessary.
11. Overflow
Overflow.io does just one thing, but it does it extremely well — it creates reproducible custom charts. Using it, designers can quickly create vibrant, lifelike screens and assemble them into a flowchart emulating the app operation.
This tool allows conceptualizing and planning user flow in the early stages of app design to consider most users’ needs.
12. GitHub
That is an online service for hosting and IT project joint development. It includes a revision control system. GitHub is a must-have tool if you have to back up your project or look for people to collaborate with. You can also use it to get some good code sample to use it as an example for your own project development.
Apart from those listed in this article, there are many other Android development tools available. We have provided a list of the most popular and high-quality solutions. However which of them you will use is a matter of your personal preference.
We hope this list will be helpful for you, and you will use it to find tools that will assist you in developing great software apps.
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