This guide discusses how to configure and use the Google Android SDK Emulator with Visual Studio.

Overview

The Google Android SDK Android emulator can be run in a variety of configurations to simulate different devices. Each one of these configurations is created as a virtual device. In this guide, you will learn how to accelerate the Android emulator for better performance, how to configure one or more virtual devices, how to launch the emulator from Visual Studio, and how to troubleshoot common problems.

ℹ️

Note: As of Android SDK Tools version 26.0.1 and later, Google has removed support for existing AVD/SDK managers in favor of their new CLI (Command Line Interface) tools. Because of this deprecation change, the Xamarin Android SDK Manager is used instead of the Google Android SDK Manager for Android Tools 26.0.1 and later. (For more information, see Using the SDK Manager). You can continue to run the original Google Android Emulator by remaining on Android SDK Tools version 25.2.5 or lower.

Sections

Part 1 - Hardware Acceleration

How to prepare your computer for maximum Android SDK Emulator performance.

Part 2 - Configuration and Use

How to configure and launch the Android SDK Emulator.

Part 3 - Troubleshooting

How to identify and resolve Android SDK Emulator problems.

Summary

This guide explained the process for configuring the Google Android SDK emulator to run and test Xamarin.Android apps. It described how to accelerate the emulator with HAXM, it introduced the pre-configured virtual devices, explained how to create custom Android Virtual Devices (AVDs), and provided the steps for deploying an application to the emulator from Visual Studio. In addition, a troubleshooting guide outlined the most common problems and solutions.