Build Android apps using any AI agent with Android CLI and skills

0:00 SPEAKER 1: Use any agent you want to develop for Android.

0:03 As an Android developer, you have many choices of agents,

0:06 tools, and LLMs to use for app development.

0:09 Regardless of what you choose, we want to make sure your agent-driven

0:13 workflow results in high quality Android apps.

0:16 To do just that, we launched a suite of resources for agents,

0:21 including tools, skills,

0:22 and knowledge that significantly improve their ability to develop for Android,

0:27 all while using fewer tokens and taking less of your time.

0:31 At the heart of the Android agent workflow is the Android CLI.

0:36 That's right.

0:37 We're bringing it back.

0:38 This revitalized command line interface provides a front

0:41 door for agents to access the tools,

0:44 skills, and knowledge they need to help you build Android apps even faster.

0:49 You can easily download and install Android CLI from developers.android.com.

0:53 The initial download is designed to be small,

0:56 so to get all the latest capabilities, run the Update command.

1:00 All right, let's take it for a spin.

1:02 I want to create a brand-new app using my agent of choice.

1:06 First things first, the agent will want

1:08 to make sure that the Android SDK is available.

1:11 But because the SDK isn't already downloaded,

1:15 the agent downloads only the components it needs using the Android CLI.

1:20 Now that the environment is set up with the SDK,

1:23 let's create my next amazing Android app.

1:26 Previously, the agent would have to spend time

1:29 and tokens figuring out how to create an Android project,

1:32 but with templates built into the CLI,

1:34 it's done in a snap and with the recommended

1:37 architecture and best practices right out of the box.

1:41 Now, with the basic setup out of the way,

1:43 we can focus on guiding the agent in creating my app.

1:48 That's looking pretty good.

1:50 Let's jump to running my app on a device.

1:52 Android CLI makes it easier for agents to create

1:56 a virtual device from a list of available profiles.

1:59 Then it's able to use the Run command to deploy the app to the device,

2:04 saving time and guesswork for agents that need to perform this core task.

2:09 From there, the agent can navigate the UI of your app,

2:13 take screenshots, and so much more.

2:15 But to really supercharge your agent,

2:18 the CLI also provides access to the official Android skills that can

2:22 guide agents on how to best use these tools and apply best practices.

2:27 [MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER 2: So first, what exactly are Skills?

2:31 They're open standard, modular,

2:33 AI-optimized instructions that you can give to your agent.

2:35 Skills grant LLMs with information on specialized domains

2:39 and workflows that they otherwise wouldn't know or execute well.

2:42 They get activated automatically by the agent

2:45 when your prompt matches the Skills metadata.

2:47 This saves you from the hassle of having

2:49 to choose and manually attach them for every task,

2:51 which saves you time on prompting.

2:53 But to truly support you in the agentic Android development,

2:56 we released the Android skills on GitHub,

2:59 a dedicated repository that follows official guidance and best

3:02 practices on Android development from our very own developer.android.com.

3:06 It contains a thorough selection of Skills,

3:08 covering more complex but important user journeys,

3:11 such as Navigation 3 setup, implementing edge to edge,

3:15 AGP9 and XML to compose migrations, and R8 config analysis.

3:19 Android skills are already integrated with Android CLI.

3:22 You can also download and use them with any other agent that supports Skills.

3:26 Check out our documentation for more information.

3:28 But that's not all.

3:30 We also have the Android knowledge base,

3:32 which puts the latest Android developer documentation at the agent's fingertips.

3:36 The Android knowledge base is already enabled in Android Studio,

3:39 and it's now available to all agents

3:41 via Android CLI and the Android Docs command.

3:44 This means the agent has access to the latest information on best practices,

3:48 frameworks, and libraries from Android Developer,

3:51 Firebase, Google Developer, and Kotlin Docs.

3:54 This command allows agents to locate relevant information using a keyword search

3:58 and use that info to pass on to the LLM as relevant context,

4:02 so that the responses are more useful and accurate.

4:05 [MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER 1: In summary,

4:07 the Android CLI is now available in preview and introduces a number

4:12 of core capabilities for agent-assisted workflows

4:15 to help you build more easily for Android.

4:18 And through the CLI,

4:19 agents can also access the official Android skills and knowledge base,

4:24 ensuring that the agents of your choice are equipped with the latest guidance,

4:28 tips, and capabilities.

4:29 Get your hands on all these great agent resources for Android today,

4:33 and let us know if you have feedback.

4:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]