Android SDK installation is not one download followed by one checkbox. The SDK is a collection of packages, including Android platforms, Build Tools, Platform-Tools such as adb, command-line tools, emulator components, and optional system images.
For most developers, the simplest route is to install Android Studio and let its Setup Wizard install the SDK. On a build server, CI machine, or computer that will not run Android Studio, install the standalone command-line tools and manage packages with sdkmanager.
Choose an installation method
| Method | Best for |
|---|---|
| Android Studio | App development, debugging, project management, emulator use, and the graphical SDK Manager |
| Standalone command-line tools | Headless Linux servers, CI pipelines, automation, and machines where Android Studio is not required |
Android Studio already includes the Android SDK command-line tools. Download the separate command-line-tools package only if you are not installing Android Studio.
Check the current requirements
As of August 7, 2026, the Android Developers download page lists Android Studio Quail 3, version 2026.1.3, and standalone command-line tools build 15859902. See the Android Studio downloads page for current downloads and versions.
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- Windows: 64-bit Windows 10 or later. ARM-based Windows machines are not currently supported.
- macOS: macOS 12 or later. Choose the Intel or Apple Silicon download that matches your Mac. Google says Intel Mac support is being phased out.
- Linux: 64-bit Linux using GNU C Library (glibc) 2.31 or later. Linux systems with ARM-based CPUs are not currently supported.
The current Windows requirements are 64-bit, so instructions referring to the old 32-bit studio.exe launcher do not apply to a supported current installation. See Google’s Android Studio installation requirements.
Install the Android SDK with Android Studio
Windows
- Download the Windows Android Studio installer from developer.android.com/studio.
- Double-click the downloaded .exe file.
- Follow the installation prompts.
- Start Android Studio and complete the Setup Wizard.
- When prompted, allow the wizard to download the recommended SDK packages.
If you downloaded the ZIP distribution instead of the installer:
- Extract the ZIP file.
- Copy the resulting android-studio folder into Program Files.
- Open the android-studio folder, then its bin folder.
- Launch studio64.exe on a 64-bit machine.
- Complete the Setup Wizard and install the recommended SDK packages.
macOS
- Download the Android Studio DMG. Choose the Intel or Apple Silicon download appropriate for your Mac.
- Open the DMG.
- Drag Android Studio into the Applications folder.
- Open Android Studio from Applications.
- Choose whether to import previous settings, then click OK.
- Complete the Setup Wizard. It downloads the SDK components needed for development.
Linux
- Download the Linux .tar.gz archive.
- Extract it to an application location such as /usr/local/, /opt/, or a directory in your home folder.
- Open a terminal, change to the android-studio/bin directory, and run:
./studio
Complete the Setup Wizard after Android Studio opens.
On 64-bit Ubuntu, install the documented compatibility libraries with:
sudo apt-get install libc6:i386 libncurses5:i386 libstdc++6:i386 lib32z1 libbz2-1.0:i386
On 64-bit Fedora, use:
sudo yum install zlib.i686 ncurses-libs.i686 bzip2-libs.i686
For current platform requirements and installation steps, see Google’s Android Studio installation guide.
Select SDK packages in SDK Manager
After Android Studio is installed, open Tools > SDK Manager. You can also click the SDK Manager button on the toolbar. The manager has three useful tabs:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- SDK Platforms: Android API platforms used as compile and build targets.
- SDK Tools: Build Tools, Platform-Tools, command-line tools, emulator components, and other utilities.
- SDK Update Sites: Repository sources used by the manager.
Install a platform
- Open the SDK Platforms tab.
- Select at least one Android platform.
- Use the latest platform as the compile/build target unless your project specifically requires another one.
- Click Apply or OK.
- Review and accept the displayed license agreements.
You do not need to install every API level. Install older platforms only when you need to compile a project that requires them or test compatibility with a particular Android version.
Install essential SDK tools
In the SDK Tools tab, select these packages:
- Android SDK Build Tools
- Android SDK Platform-Tools
- Android SDK Command-Line Tools
Platform-Tools contains adb. The latest Platform-Tools release is intended to remain backward-compatible with earlier Android platform versions, so Platform-Tools is not tied to the API level you selected. See the Platform-Tools release notes.
Select optional packages such as the Android Emulator, an emulator hypervisor or accelerator, NDK, CMake, and system images only when your workflow needs them. A local emulator is not mandatory: you can test with a physical Android device or Android Device Streaming.
Click Apply or OK to install the selections. To remove a package later, clear its checkbox and apply the change. Google’s SDK Manager guide describes these options.
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Find the SDK directory
In Android Studio, open File > Project Structure > SDK Location. The value under Android SDK location is the SDK root. You will need this path when configuring command-line tools, scripts, or a CI system. See Google’s Android developer tools overview.
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Install the SDK without Android Studio
Download the standalone command-line tools from the Android Studio downloads page. For build 15859902, the files are:
| Operating system | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows | commandlinetools-win-15859902_latest.zip |
| macOS Intel | commandlinetools-mac_x86_64-15859902_latest.zip |
| macOS Apple Silicon | commandlinetools-mac_arm64-15859902_latest.zip |
| Linux | commandlinetools-linux-15859902_latest.zip |
Create an SDK root and use the required directory layout:
android_sdk/ > cmdline-tools/ > latest/ > bin/, lib/, NOTICE.txt, and source.properties
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A common broken layout is android_sdk/cmdline-tools/cmdline-tools/bin/sdkmanager. If you see that extra cmdline-tools level, move bin, lib, NOTICE.txt, and source.properties up into latest. Google’s sdkmanager documentation shows the required layout.
Manage packages with sdkmanager
Run these commands from the command-line tools directory, or provide the full path to sdkmanager. Replace the example SDK path with your actual SDK path if it is not configured.
List available and installed packages
sdkmanager –list
This lists stable packages by default. To explicitly request the stable channel, use:
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sdkmanager –list –channel=0
The channel numbers are 0 for stable, 1 for beta, 2 for dev, and 3 for canary.
Install the basic packages
sdkmanager “platform-tools” “platforms;android-36” “build-tools;36.0.0”
Each SDK package path must be quoted separately. Package names are not ordinary filesystem paths; for example, use “platforms;android-36”, not a path with slashes.
If the SDK manager is not operating on the SDK you intend to modify, specify the SDK root explicitly:
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sdkmanager –sdk_root=/path/to/android_sdk “platform-tools” “platforms;android-36”
On Windows, a full command might look like this:
“C:\Android\cmdline-tools\latest\bin\sdkmanager.bat” –sdk_root=”C:\Android” “platform-tools”
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Accept licenses
sdkmanager –licenses
Answer the prompts for each license. Accepted licenses are stored in the SDK’s licenses/ directory. If they are missing, a later Gradle build can stop while trying to install or use SDK packages.
Update or remove packages
sdkmanager –update
To remove a package, specify its package path:
sdkmanager –uninstall “platforms;android-35”
You can also install packages listed in a file. Put one SDK-style package path on each line, without quotation marks, then run:
sdkmanager –package_file=package_file
Install a specific NDK or CMake version
sdkmanager –install “ndk;21.3.6528147” –channel=3
sdkmanager –install “cmake;10.24988404”
For scripts and CI, select a specific tool version rather than depending on a moving latest label. Pinning versions makes repeatable builds easier to diagnose.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Configure the SDK on the command line
Google’s command-line documentation recommends setting ANDROID_HOME to the SDK root. Add the relevant current tool directories to your PATH, such as:
- ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
- ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin
Do not install or configure the obsolete android_sdk/tools or android_sdk/tools/bin package. The old SDK Tools package has been replaced by Android SDK Command-Line Tools, which lives under cmdline-tools/<version>/bin. See Google’s command-line tools release information.
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Verify the installation
- Run sdkmanager –list. It should display installed and available packages without an SDK-location error.
- Run sdkmanager –licenses and finish all pending agreements.
- Check that the expected directories exist under the SDK root, including platform-tools, platforms, build-tools, and cmdline-tools.
- If using a physical device, enable USB debugging, connect it, and run adb devices.
A connected device should appear after the computer’s authorization prompt is accepted.
Common installation failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| sdkmanager cannot locate the SDK | Incorrect command-line-tools nesting or an unintended SDK root | Check for cmdline-tools/latest/bin/sdkmanager and use –sdk_root=… if needed. |
| Gradle reports that licenses have not been accepted | The SDK’s licenses directory is incomplete | Run sdkmanager –licenses against the same SDK root used by Gradle. |
| adb is not recognized | platform-tools is not installed or is missing from PATH | Install platform-tools and add the SDK’s platform-tools directory to PATH. |
| A project cannot compile | The required Android platform or Build Tools version is absent | Read the project’s Gradle configuration, then install the requested platform and Build Tools packages. |
| Android Studio will not start on Linux | Missing compatibility libraries or unsupported hardware | Install the documented distribution dependencies and verify that the system is 64-bit with glibc 2.31 or later. |
FAQ
Do I need Android Studio to install the Android SDK?
No. Android Studio is the easiest option for normal development, but the standalone command-line tools and sdkmanager are sufficient for servers, CI, and command-line workflows.
Do I have to install every Android API level?
No. Install at least one platform, normally the latest platform used as your compile/build target. Add older API levels only for a project requirement or compatibility testing.
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No. You can run and debug an app on a physical Android device or use Android Device Streaming. Install the Emulator and system images only if you want local virtual devices.
What replaced the Android SDK Tools package?
Android SDK Command-Line Tools replaced the deprecated SDK Tools package. Current installations should use cmdline-tools/<version>/bin, not the obsolete tools/ directory.
Why does sdkmanager say it cannot find the SDK?
The usual causes are an extra directory level in the command-line-tools installation or a command running against the wrong SDK root. Confirm that bin, lib, NOTICE.txt, and source.properties are directly inside cmdline-tools/latest, then use –sdk_root=… if necessary.
The Bottom Line
Install Android Studio and let the Setup Wizard create the SDK unless you specifically need a headless installation. Then use Tools > SDK Manager to install a platform, Build Tools, Platform-Tools, and any optional emulator or native-development packages. For standalone installations, preserve the cmdline-tools/latest/bin layout, accept licenses, and use sdkmanager with an explicit SDK root when scripts or multiple SDK installations are involved.
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