Before debugging and testing android application, you should create an android virtual device ( AVD ) to start a simulator. You can specify special configurations for your avd, and then start it for debugging and executing applications.
1. AVD Benefits.
- With AVD, android app can be tested and executed in numerous virtual devices such as TV, Wear, Phone or Tablet. You do not need to buy physical devices, this can save a lot of money.
- You can config a lot of virtual device parameters such as phone brand, android OS image, screen size, RAM size, SD card size, front or back Camera as you need, this provide big flexibility for you to customize virtual device.
2. How To Create AVD In Android Studio.
- Click ” Tools —> Android —> AVD Manager ” in top menu bar. Or click AVD Manager icon directly in android studio top tool bar.
- Then Your Virtual Devices window will popup. If there do not have any existing avd in the list, click Create Virtual Device button to create one.
- When you click Create Virtual Devices… button, the Select Hardware window will popup. Choose device type such as TV, Wear, Phone or Tablet. Also choose the virtual device’s brand, screen size, resolution etc.
- If all the existing virtual devices do not fit your needs, click New Hardware Profile or Import Hardware Profiles button to add your customized virtual devices as you need. For normal use, choose an existing one is enough.
- Click Next button, then System Image window will be shown. This window list various versions of android OS. Click Download link to download and install the OS image that you want to run.
- Click Next button, it will go to AVD verify configuration window. Click Show Advanced Settings button to see detail settings data for this virtual device.
- Click Finish button and wait for sometime, the android virtual device will be created completely. To start it, click the green triangle button in AVD list Actions column. To edit it’s settings, click the green pencil button.
- When the avd is started, the device simulator will be shown in the screen like below. This means the avd configuration is successful.
