Last Updated on January 30, 2024
Android App Development is gaining unprecedented popularity. Powering almost every 1 in 3 smartphones, it has the largest share in the mobile OS market. The Google Play Store is also home to more than 3.3 million apps; if we consider other third-party app libraries, this number would be even higher. This is enough testament to a massive demand for Android app development.
However, it also means that the competition on the Android platform is monstrous, and if you aim to develop an app that performs well on the market, you will need to make sure your app is top of its class. For this, you need to hire Android developer that follows Android coding best practices and has expertise in leveraging top Android app development tools.
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Top Android App Development Tools
Android development tools help you create your project’s interactive, robust, scalable, and secure Android apps. These Android development tools are developed while keeping Android coding best practices and guidelines in mind, ensuring your Android app code remains concise and efficient. However, to truly integrate such tools in your app, you need to hire dedicated developers in Android who have previous experience using such tools to power different clients’ apps. Here are some of the top Android app development tools to use in 2022 –
Android Studio
Tool Type: IDE Tools
You cannot avoid Android Studio when it comes to Android development. It is the official IDE for all Android apps, and it also comes with various features and extensions that make it a crowd favourite Android Development Tool.
Features of Android Studio
- Instant App Run
- Fast Emulator
- Intelligence Code Editor
- Ability to build an app for all devices
- Kotlin Support
- Maven Repository
- Colour Previews
Android Debug Bridge (ADB)
Tool Type: Debugging Tools
ADB is a CLI tool that bridges communication between Android devices and other devices used during development stages and for QA and debugging processes. For example, when a developer connects their Android device to a PC or a laptop and opens a terminal to run some commands, they can easily make necessary modifications to both devices.
Features of Android Debug Bridge
- File Transferring
- Full Application Management
- Shell Commands Execution
- Recording Videos
- Connecting Various Devices
- Screenshot Capturing
FlowUp
Tool Type: Performance Tools
You need to ensure your Android app is highly performant. Poor performance often leads to declination of app deployment on Play Store or causes a choppy user experience which leads to app uninstalls. FlowUp is a reliable Android performance tool that allows users to keep a tab on their app performance by measuring metrics like CPU consumption, frames per second count, memory usage and other important aspects.
Features of FlowUp
- CPU usage
- Disk Allocated
- Bytes Allocated
- Memory Consumption
- Frame Time
- TCP/UDP Traffic
GenyMotion
Tool Type: Emulator Tools
GenyMotion is a perfect Android emulator tool that lets you test your app on various devices and screen sizes without purchasing its hardware. You can also check how your app functions on different Android versions to make sure your app works on your targeted devices and Android versions. You can use their services via their desktop and cloud apps.
Features of GenyMotion
- Android Studio Support
- Works on macOS and Linux as well
- Support for Android versions starting from 4.1
- Device Mock Testing and Range of Devices
Venmo
Tool Type: Payment Tools
Venmo is a payment service app that is used for mobile purchases. It has support for both Android and iOS. Customers can use their services to share their payments with their friends and family.
They can also select approved businesses using their money from their bank account, Venmo wallet or linked debit cards. Venmo doesn’t charge any fee for transferring money using Venmo balance, prepaid cards, debit cards or bank accounts. You will be charged a 3% charge on credit cards, though.
Features of Venmo
- ACH Payment Processing
- Data Security/Synchronization
- Debit Card/Credit Card Processing
- In-Person Payments
- Customer Engagement
- Electronic Payments
GameMaker: Studio
Tool Type: Game Development Tools
GameMaker Studio is a 2D game development platform for Android and other platforms. It is an ideal game framework for developers that are just learning Java and Android and need to create a game. It allows developers to create 2d games without requiring any coding skills. In addition, it has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making the development process much easier for entry-level Android developers.
Features of GameMaker: Studio
- Multiplatform Support
- Drag and Drop Interface
- Image Editor
- Physics Integration
- Object Editor
- Script Editor
- Room Editor
- Backward Compatability
React Native
Tool Type: Cross Platform Mobile App Development Tools
React Native is one of the leading cross platform mobile app development tools. React Native is one of the most reliable development tools for developing apps on mobile platforms such as Android and iOS.
Although the platform is primarily cross platform in nature, it allows developers to use native Android app development languages like Kotlin and Java to work on some parts of the application that needs native access. Hence, you can power your Android app to perform native-like while keeping your app development costs at a minimum.
Features of React Native
- Write Once Use Anywhere
- Intuitive and Appealing UI
- Strong Community
- Extensive support for Third Party Libraries
MLKit
Tool Type: Machine Learning Tool
Machine Learning is already being used in many Android apps to enhance their features and capabilities. However, adding machine learning features to the Android app still isn’t as easy as adding other features. ML requires a core understanding of deep learning networks, neural networks and more. If you have an experienced Android developer in your team, they can easily leverage the MLKit provided by Google to integrate machine learning capabilities in your app.
Features of MLKit
- Text Recognition
- Barcode Scanning
- Landmark Recognition
- Smart Replies
- Language Detection
- Face Detection
- Image Labelling
Figma
Tool Type: App Design Tool
Figma is a creative tool made for developing user interfaces. It is a one-stop solution for designing and prototyping digital experiences. This Android UI tool can be used on Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge. The charges to use Figma costs $12 per month for professionals and $45 per month for organizations. It offers a free trial plan as well. Figma also has a whiteboarding service that costs $3/month for professionals and $5 for organizations.
Key Features of Figma
- Prototyping
- Built-in Commenting
- Version Control
- Multiplayer Collaboration
- Components
- Team Libraries
- Liveshare
Final Words
These are the top Android app development tools you should use to upscale and improvise your Android app. Find the right and experienced Android developers with proven expertise in creating custom Android app solutions in your niche to ensure your Android app stays a step ahead of the competition and provides an unparalleled user experience for your users.
