You ain't going back to android studio for a while.
- Install the extension (Extensions view → search "Android Studio Lite" → Install).
- Set Android SDK path
- Set
ANDROID_HOME(orANDROID_SDK_ROOT) to your SDK root, or - Settings → search
android-studio-lite.sdkPath→ set the path. - Restart the editor after changing env vars.
- Open an Android project (folder with
gradlew). - Open the Android Studio Lite view in the sidebar (Android icon in the activity bar).
- Select an AVD in the dropdown (or start an emulator from the AVD view).
- Select a module (e.g.
app) in the dropdown. - Click Run. The extension builds, installs, and launches the app on the device.
- Turn Logcat on to see logs for that app in the Logcat output channel.
- Editor: VS Code or Cursor v1.74.0+
- Android SDK with Platform Tools (ADB). If you use Android Studio, the SDK is usually at:
- macOS:
~/Library/Android/sdk - Windows:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk
- macOS:
- Android project: Workspace folder must contain a Gradle wrapper (
gradlew/gradlew.bat).
| What | How |
|---|---|
| SDK path (required) | Set ANDROID_HOME or ANDROID_SDK_ROOT, or set android-studio-lite.sdkPath in Settings. |
| AVD / Emulator | Auto-detected from SDK. Override with android-studio-lite.emulator, android-studio-lite.avdHome if needed. |
| ADB | Auto-detected from SDK platform-tools. Override with android-studio-lite.adbPath if needed. |
After changing environment variables, restart the editor.
- Open the Android Studio Lite sidebar view.
- Device: Choose an AVD from the dropdown. If the emulator is not running, the extension can start it when you Run.
- Module: Choose the app module (e.g.
app). Variants are loaded from Gradle; pick the one you want (e.g. debug). - Click Run.
- Extension builds and installs the app (Gradle), then launches it on the selected device.
- The first run may take longer (Gradle, booting emulator).
- Turn Logcat on via the Logcat toggle in the Android Studio Lite sidebar.
- Logcat shows only the app you last ran (filtered by PID).
- Logs stream in the Logcat output channel (Output panel → channel dropdown → "Logcat").
- Before first use: Run your app once from the sidebar so the extension knows which app/device to attach to.
- Commands: Start/Stop/Clear via Command Palette (
Android Studio Lite: Start Logcat, etc.).
- Build variant: Use the Build Variant view in the sidebar or Command Palette:
Android Studio Lite: Select Build Variant. Variants (e.g. debug, release, flavors) are loaded from your Gradle project. - Devices: Device list and emulator start are in the AVD section of the sidebar. Command Palette:
Android Studio Lite: Start Emulator,Android Studio Lite: Select Device.
Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P):
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Update SDK Root Path | Set Android SDK path. |
| Update Emulator Path / AVD Manager Path | Override paths if needed. |
| Start Emulator / Select Device | Launch or choose device. |
| Select Build Variant | Choose build configuration. |
| Run App | Build, install, launch. |
| Start Logcat / Stop Logcat / Clear Logcat | Control log stream. |
| Stop App / Uninstall / Clear Data | App lifecycle on device. |
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| No devices | Run adb devices. Ensure USB debugging authorized or emulator running. Check android-studio-lite.sdkPath (or ANDROID_HOME). |
| Build variants empty | Open an Android project root (with gradlew). Make sure Gradle wrapper is executable. |
| Logcat shows “Run the app first” | Run the app once from the sidebar so the extension can attach Logcat to that app. |
| Emulator not found | Install SDK Platform Tools & Emulator (e.g. via Android Studio SDK Manager). Set SDK path. |