page.title=Adding SDK Packages @jd:body

By default, the Android SDK does not include everything you need to start developing. The SDK separates tools, platforms, and other components into packages you can download as needed using the Android SDK Manager. So before you can start, there are a few packages you should add to your Android SDK.

To start adding packages, launch the Android SDK Manager in one of the following ways:

  1. Get the latest SDK tools

    As a minimum when setting up the Android SDK, you should download the latest tools and Android platform:

    1. Open the Tools directory and select:
      • Android SDK Tools
      • Android SDK Platform-tools
      • Android SDK Build-tools
    2. Open the first Android X.X folder (the latest version) and select:
      • SDK Platform
      • A system image for the emulator, such as
        ARM EABI v7a System Image
    3. Click Install.
  2. Get the support library for additional APIs

    The Android Support Library provides an extended set of APIs that are compatible with most versions of Android.

    To download the support library:

    1. Open the Extras directory and select:
      • Android Support Repository
      • Android Support Library
    2. Click Install.

     

     

  3. Get Google Play services for even more APIs

    To develop with Google APIs, you need the Google Play services package:

    1. Open the Extras directory and select:
      • Google Repository
      • Google Play services
    2. Click Install.

    Note: Google Play services APIs are not available on all Android-powered devices, but are available on all devices with Google Play Store. To use these APIs in the Android emulator, you must also install the the Google APIs system image from the latest Android X.X directory in the SDK Manager.

  4. Build something!

    With the above packages now in your Android SDK, you're ready to build apps for Android. As new tools and other APIs become available, simply launch the SDK Manager to download the new packages for your SDK.

    Here are a few options for how you should proceed:

    Get started

    If you're new to Android development, learn the basics of Android apps by following the guide to Building Your First App.

    Build for wearables

    If you're ready to start building apps for Android wearables, see the guide to Building Apps for Android Wear.

    Use Google APIs

    To start using Google APIs, such as Maps or Play Game services, see the guide to Setting Up Google Play Services.