| **Note:** Android Studio Meerkat updated the labels and ordering of some Build actions.[Learn more](https://developer.android.com/studio/releases#build-actions-update)

To see how your app looks and behaves on a device, you need to build and run it. Android Studio sets up new projects so that you can deploy your app to a virtual or a physical device with just a few clicks.

This overview focuses on how to use Android Studio to build and run your app for testing and debugging. For information on how to use Android Studio to build your app so that it can be released to users, see[Build your app for release to users](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/build-for-release). For more detailed information about managing and customizing your build with or without Android Studio, see[Configure your build](https://developer.android.com/studio/build).

## Basic build and run

To build and run your app, follow these steps:

1. In the toolbar, select your app from the run configurations menu.
2. In the target device menu, select the device that you want to run your app on.

   ![Target device menu.](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/run/deploy-run-app-new-ui.png)

   If you don't have any devices configured, you need to either[create an Android Virtual Device](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/managing-avds#createavd)to use the[Android Emulator](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/emulator)or[connect a physical device](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/device#connect).
3. Click**Run** ![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-run.png).

Android Studio warns you if you attempt to launch your project to a device that has an error or a warning associated with it. Iconography and stylistic changes differentiate between*errors* (device selections that result in a broken configuration) and*warnings*(device selections that might result in unexpected behavior but are still runnable).
| **Note:** Android Studio includes deployment optimizations for incremental changes on Android 11 or later. If you manually clear app data in between incremental changes, some changes may be discarded without warning. This may result in your app running outdated code. If you need to clear app data in between deployments, check the option to "Always install with package manager" in the Run/Debug configuration. That will bypass these deployment optimizations and ensure the latest version of the app code is deployed every time the app is run.

## Monitor the build process

To view details about the build process, select**View \> Tool Windows \> Build** or click**Build** ![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-build.png)in the tool window bar. The**Build**tool window displays the tasks that Gradle executes to build your app, as shown in figure 1.
![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/run/window-build.png)**Figure 1.** The**Build**tool window in Android Studio.

1. **Sync tab:** Displays tasks that Gradle executes to sync with your project files. Similar to the**Build Output** tab, if you encounter a sync error, select elements in the tree to get more information about the error. Also displays a summary of[download impact](https://developer.android.com/build/build-analyzer#download-impact)to determine whether dependency downloads are negatively affecting your build.
2. **Build Output tab:** Displays the tasks that Gradle executes as a tree, where each node represents either a build phase or a group of task dependencies. If you receive build-time or compile-time errors, inspect the tree and select an element to read the error output, as shown in figure 2.![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/run/build-output-window-error.png)**Figure 2.** Inspect the**Build Output**tab for error messages.
3. **Build Analyzer tab:** Provides build performance analysis information about your build. See[Troubleshoot build performance with Build Analyzer](https://developer.android.com/studio/build/build-analyzer)for more information.
4. **Restart:** Performs the last build action again. If you last ran**Build \> Make Selected Module** , it'll build the current module. If you last ran**Build \> Make Project**, it'll generate intermediate build files for all modules in your project.
5. **Filters:**Filters out warnings, tasks, or both that completed successfully. This can make it easier to find issues in the output.

If your build variants use product flavors, Gradle also invokes tasks to build those product flavors. To view the list of all available build tasks, click**View \> Tool Windows \> Gradle** or click**Gradle** ![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-gradle.png)in the tool window bar.

If an error occurs during the build process, Gradle may recommend command-line options to help you resolve the issue, such as`--stacktrace`or`--debug`. To use command-line options with your build process:

1. Open the**Settings** or**Preferences** dialog:
   - On Windows or Linux, select**File** \>**Settings**from the menu bar.
   - On macOS, select**Android Studio** \>**Preferences**from the menu bar.
2. Navigate to**Build, Execution, Deployment** \>**Compiler**.
3. In the text field next to**Command-line Options**, enter your command-line options.
4. Click**OK**to save and exit.

Gradle applies these command-line options the next time you try building your app.

## Advanced build and run features

The default way to build and run your app in Android Studio should be sufficient to test a simple app. However, you can use these build and run features for more advanced use cases:

- To deploy your app in debug mode, click**Debug** ![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-debug.png). Running your app in debug mode lets you set breakpoints in your code, examine variables and evaluate expressions at run-time, and run debugging tools. To learn more, see[Debug your app](https://developer.android.com/studio/debug).

- If you have a larger, more complex app, use Apply Changes instead of clicking**Run** ![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-run.png). This saves time, because you avoid restarting your app every time you want to deploy a change. For more information about Apply Changes, see the[Deploy incrementally with Apply Changes](https://developer.android.com/studio/run#apply-changes)section.

- If you're using Jetpack Compose, Live Edit is an experimental feature that lets you update composables in real time without re-clicking**Run** ![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-run.png). This lets you focus on writing UI code with minimal interruption. For more information, see the[Live Edit (experimental)](https://developer.android.com/studio/run#live-edit)section.

- If you have an app with multiple build variants or versions, you can choose which build variant to deploy by using the**Build Variants** tool window. For more information about running a specific build variant, see the[Change the build variant](https://developer.android.com/studio/run#changing-variant)section.

- To fine-tune app installation, launch, and test options, you can change the run/debug configuration. For more information about creating custom run/debug configurations, see the[Create run/debug configurations](https://developer.android.com/studio/run#run-configuration)section.

- We recommend that you use Android Studio for your development needs, but you can also deploy your app to a virtual or physical device from the command line. For more information, see[Build your app from the command line](https://developer.android.com/studio/build/building-cmdline).

### Deploy incrementally with Apply Changes

In Android Studio 3.5 and higher, Apply Changes lets you push code and resource changes to your running app without restarting your app---and, in some cases, without restarting the current activity. This flexibility helps you control how much of your app is restarted when you want to deploy and test small, incremental changes while preserving your device's current state.

Apply Changes uses[capabilities in the Android JVMTI implementation](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/platform/jvmti/jvmti.html#bci)that are supported on devices running Android 8.0 (API level 26) or higher. To learn more about how Apply Changes works, see[Android Studio Project Marble: Apply Changes](https://medium.com/androiddevelopers/android-studio-project-marble-apply-changes-e3048662e8cd).

#### Requirements

Apply Changes actions are only available when you meet the following conditions:

- You build the APK of your app using a debug build variant.
- You deploy your app to a target device or emulator that runs Android 8.0 (API level 26) or higher.

#### Use Apply Changes

Use the following options when you want to deploy your changes to a compatible device:

**Apply Changes and Restart Activity** ![Apply Changes and Restart Activity icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-apply-changes.png): Attempts to apply both your resource and code changes by restarting your activity but without restarting your app. Generally, you can use this option when you've modified code in the body of a method or modified an existing resource.

You can also perform this action by pressing<kbd>Control</kbd>+<kbd>Alt</kbd>+<kbd>F10</kbd>(<kbd>Control</kbd>+<kbd>Command</kbd>+<kbd>Shift</kbd>+<kbd>R</kbd>on macOS).

**Apply Code Changes** ![Apply Code Changes icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-apply-code-changes.png): Attempts to apply only your code changes without restarting anything. Generally, you can use this option when you've modified code in the body of a method but you haven't modified any resources. If you've modified both code and resources, use**Apply Changes and Restart Activity**instead.

You can also perform this action by pressing<kbd>Control</kbd>+<kbd>F10</kbd>(<kbd>Control</kbd>+<kbd>Command</kbd>+<kbd>R</kbd>on macOS).

**Run** ![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-run.png): Deploys all changes and restarts the app. Use this option when the changes you've made can't be applied using either of the Apply Changes options. To learn more about the types of changes that require an app restart, see the[Limitations of Apply Changes](https://developer.android.com/studio/run#apply-changes-limitations)section.

#### Enable run fallback for Apply Changes

When you click either**Apply Changes and Restart Activity** or**Apply Code Changes** , Android Studio builds a new APK and determines whether the changes can be applied. If the changes can't be applied and would cause Apply Changes to fail, Android Studio prompts you to**Run** ![Run icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-run.png)your app again instead.

If you don't want to be prompted every time this occurs, you can configure Android Studio to automatically rerun your app when changes can't be applied. To enable this behavior, follow these steps:

1. Open the**Settings** or**Preferences**dialog:

   - On Windows or Linux, select**File \> Settings**from the menu.
   - On macOS, select**Android Studio \> Preferences**from the menu.
2. Navigate to**Build, Execution, Deployment \> Deployment**.

3. Select the checkboxes to enable automatic run fallback for either or both of the Apply Changes actions.

4. Click**OK**.

| **Note:** Some types of changes don't cause Apply Changes to fail but still require you to restart your app manually before you can see those changes. For example, if you make changes to an activity's[`onCreate()`](https://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Activity#onCreate(android.os.Bundle))method, those changes only take effect after the activity is relaunched, so you must restart your app to see those changes.

#### Platform-dependent changes

Some features of Apply Changes depend on specific versions of the Android platform. To apply these kinds of changes, your app must be deployed to a device running that version of Android (or higher). For example, adding a method requires Android 11 or higher.

#### Limitations of Apply Changes

Apply Changes is designed to speed up the app deployment process. However, there are some limitations on when it can be used.

##### Code changes that require app restart

Some code and resource changes can't be applied until the app is restarted, including the following:

- Adding or removing a field
- Removing a method
- Changing method signatures
- Changing modifiers of methods or classes
- Changing class inheritance
- Changing values in enums
- Adding or removing a resource
- Changing the app manifest
- Changing native libraries (SO files)

##### Libraries and plugins

Some libraries and plugins automatically make changes to your app's manifest files or to resources that are referenced in the manifest. These automatic updates can interfere with Apply Changes in the following ways:

- If a library or plugin makes changes to your app's manifest, you can't use Apply Changes. You must restart your app to see your changes.
- If a library or plugin makes changes to your app's resource files, you can't use**Apply Code Changes** ![Apply Code Changes icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-apply-code-changes.png). You must use**Apply Changes and Restart Activity** ![Apply Changes and Restart Activity icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-apply-changes.png)(or restart your app) to see your changes.

To avoid these limitations, disable all automatic updates for your debug build variants.

For example,[Firebase Crashlytics](https://firebase.google.com/products/crashlytics)updates app resources with a unique build ID during every build, which prevents you from using**Apply Code Changes** ![Apply Code Changes icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-apply-code-changes.png)and requires you to restart your app's activity to see your changes. Disable this behavior to use**Apply Code Changes**alongside Crashlytics with your debug builds.

##### Code that directly references content in an installed APK

If your code directly references content from your app's APK that's installed on the device, that code can cause crashes or misbehave after clicking**Apply Code Changes** ![Apply Code Changes icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-apply-code-changes.png). This behavior occurs because when you click**Apply Code Changes** the underlying APK on the device is replaced during installation. In these cases, you can click**Apply Changes and Restart Activity** ![Apply Changes and Restart Activity icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-apply-changes.png)or**Run** ![Run icon](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-run.png)instead.

If you encounter any other issues while using Apply Changes,[file a bug](https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/new?component=192708).

### Live Edit

Live Edit is an experimental feature in the Android Studio that lets you update composables in emulators and physical devices in real time. This functionality minimizes context switches between writing and building your app, letting you focus on writing code longer without interruption.

[Learn more about Live Edit](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/compose/tooling/iterative-development#live-edit)

### Change the build variant

By default, Android Studio builds the debug version of your app, which is intended for use only during development, when you click**Run** ![UI button](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/buttons/toolbar-run-darkmode.png).

To change the build variant Android Studio uses, do one of the following:

- Select**Build** \>**Select Build Variant**in the menu.
- Select**View** \>**Tool Windows** \>**Build Variants**in the menu.
- Click the**Build Variants**tab on the tool window bar.

For projects without native/C++ code, the**Build Variants** panel has two columns:**Module** and**Active Build Variant** . The**Active Build Variant**value for the module determines which build variant the IDE deploys to your connected device and is visible in the editor.

![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/run/build-variants.png)

**Figure 9.** The**Build Variants**panel has two columns for projects that don't have native/C++ code.

<br />

To switch between variants, click the**Active Build Variant**cell for a module and choose the desired variant from the list.

For projects with native/C++ code, the**Build Variants**panel has three columns:

- **Module**
- **Active Build Variant**
- **Active ABI**

The**Active Build Variant** value for the module determines the build variant that the IDE deploys to your device and is visible in the editor. For native modules, the**Active ABI** value determines the[ABI](https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/abis)that the editor uses, but doesn't impact what is deployed.

![](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/run/build-variants-ndk.png)

**Figure 10.** The**Build Variants** panel adds the**Active ABI**column for projects with native/C++ code.

<br />

To change the build variant or ABI, click the cell for the**Active Build Variant** or**Active ABI**column and choose the desired variant or ABI from the list. After you change the selection, the IDE syncs your project automatically. Changing either column for an app or library module applies the change to all dependent rows.

By default, new projects are set up with two build variants: a debug variant and release variant. You need to build the release variant to[prepare your app for public release](https://developer.android.com/studio/publish/preparing). To define other variations of your app with different features or device requirements, you can[define additional build variants](https://developer.android.com/studio/build/build-variants).

#### Conflicts in Android Studio Build Variants dialog

In the Android Studio**Build Variants**dialog, you might see error messages indicating conflicts between build variants, such as the following:

![Build Variant window displaying variant conflict errors](https://developer.android.com/static/studio/images/run/build-variant-conflict.png)

This error doesn't indicate a build issue with Gradle. It indicates that the Android Studio IDE can't resolve symbols between the variants of the selected modules.

For example, if you have a module`M1`that depends on variant`v1`of module`M2`, but`M2`has variant`v2`selected in the IDE, you have unresolved symbols in the IDE. Suppose`M1`depends on a class that is only available in`v1`; when`v2`is selected, that class is not known by the IDE. Therefore it fails to resolve the class name and shows errors in the`M1`module's code.

These error messages appear because the IDE can't load code for multiple variants simultaneously. In terms of your app's build, however, the variant selected in this dialog has no effect, because Gradle builds your app with the source code specified in your Gradle build recipes, not based on what's currently loaded in the IDE.

### Change the run/debug configuration

When you run your app for the first time, Android Studio uses a default run configuration. The run configuration specifies whether to deploy your app from an APK or an[Android App Bundle](https://developer.android.com/guide/app-bundle)as well as the module to run, package to deploy, activity to start, target device, emulator settings, Logcat options, and more.

The default run/debug configuration builds an APK, launches the default project activity, and uses the**Select Deployment Target**dialog for target device selection. If the default settings don't suit your project or module, you can customize the run/debug configuration or create a new one at the project, default, and module levels.

To edit a run/debug configuration, select**Run \> Edit Configurations** . For more information, see[Create and edit run/debug configurations](https://developer.android.com/studio/run/rundebugconfig).