How To Start Developing Android Apps From Scratch

Start Developing Android Apps From Scratch
Should you become an Android developer? If you trust Glassdoor, the median salary for Android developers is around 93K. That’s pretty lucrative. There are other reasons to pursue this as well. If you already work in development and design, this is one more useful item to add to your tool chest. If you are new to development, this is a great place to start. Finally, if you’re a hobbyist, Android development is reasonably easy to learn, and quite fun. At least it is once you’ve gotten over the initial learning curve.

Whatever your situation is, it’s easier to get started than you might imagine. The following steps will walk you through exactly what you need to do to start developing android apps.


1. Visit Android’s Developer Website

Good news! Android wants people like you to learn how to develop apps. They’ve provided the platform, but they need skilled developers to continue to build great apps, and then share those with others. Because of this, they’ve provided developers and emerging developers with plenty of resources for doing just that.

Now the challenging part. You’re going to have to spend quite a bit of time here. Don’t worry about memorizing everything. But read up on the platform, the technologies used, and other topics. Most importantly, get to understand the developer site so that you can use it as a reference in the future.

2. Control The Look And Feel Of Your Apps With Material Design

Material Design was developed by Google in 2014. Since then, it has become the gold standard for app design and development. Fortunately, the Android Developer site has a guide for using Material design to develop Android apps.

3. Get The Right IDE

IDE stands for the integrated development environment. this is essentially where you will be doing all of your development. Most of the Android developers use either use Android studio or eclipse.

To determine the one that's right for you, do a bit of research. Ask your developer friends, and read some reviews. get as much information as you have as there are people who are definitely evangelists for both.

4. Begin coding

Now you are going to go back to the Android Developers Website. There are a couple of sections that you should pay close attention to. The first is the Developer Guides. Here, you will find examples. Most importantly, you will find a tutorial that will walk you through the process of building your first app. There’s lots of great information here.

The second is the API reference. This is more complex. You won’t use this as a guide. Think of it as an encyclopedia. Some of the info here is quite advanced. But, you will use it as you become more adept at writing apps.

5. Improve Your Writing

It takes more than technical skills to develop a great app. There's also a lot of writing involved. For example, there is the in-app content. That's basically all the things you write for the user to read as they use your app. Also, when you place the app out for download, you'll need to write appropriate descriptions some people know what they can expect. You'll have to communicate clearly and concisely.

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to help you improve your writing. You could use a resource like Subjecto, for example, to get writing samples and other assistance.

6. Keep Learning

Like any other developer’s path, becoming an Android developer isn’t something that is finite. There will continue to be new technologies added by Google, and new ways to use those technologies. You may also begin by developing apps for mobile phones, but why stop there? You could also develop apps for Android TV, Android for Cars, or Android Things.

7. Learn To Test Your Apps

It’s imperative that you test your app thoroughly. Nobody wants to install a buggy app on their device. Worse, if too many bugs are reported, your app could be removed from Google Play, or another penalty may be applied. Besides, you put a lot of effort into developing your apps. Presumably, you want it to work as intended.

Fortunately, Android Developer has frameworks available for you to test your apps before you deploy them. Of course, learning the technical side of app testing is only part of the understanding you need. You need to understand how to develop a testing strategy, to create various test cases, and to accurately predict how people might attempt to use your app.

8. Learn How To Publish Your App

Eventually, you’ll probably want to make your app available on Google Play, or some other download site. To do this, you’ll need to set up a Google Play Developer Account. Then, you can take the ‘Create an Application’ option. This is where you will select your default language, provide a title for your app, and create your listing. You’ll also answer questions that will be used to determine your app’s rating. This is where pricing is determined as well, assuming your app is paid.

Final Thoughts

If you want to start developing Android apps, there are plenty of free resources for you to use. The folks behind Android have worked very hard to clear the path for emerging developers. All you need to do is dedicate a bit of time to learning, engage in significant QA testing, then commit to continued learning. Before long, you will be ready to publish your first app.

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AUTHOR_NAMEAbout the Author:
Lisa R. Taylor is a 32-year-old self-driven specialist who enjoys blogging in the IT field.She writes and manages Subjecto. She is kindness and considerate, but can also be very evil and a bit stingy.She is American.
Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has a post-graduate degree in literature. Her hobbies are writing, sports, website management. She is inspired by traveling.
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