To make an Android app, you write Kotlin in Android Studio, build a React Native app with Expo that runs on iPhone too, or describe the app to an AI app builder such as Vibely, which writes the Expo project in your browser. Android Studio runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and Google Play charges a $25 one-time fee.
What are the ways to make an Android app?
| Route | What you write | What you install | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kotlin and Android Studio | Kotlin, with Jetpack Compose for the screens | Android Studio and the Android SDK | Android-only apps that go deep into the platform |
| React Native and Expo | TypeScript, with React | Node.js and the Expo tools | One codebase for Android and iPhone |
| An AI app builder (Vibely) | A description of the app | Nothing: it runs in the browser | The quickest working app, with real code underneath |
How do you make an Android app in Android Studio?
Android Studio is Google's official tool for Android development, and Kotlin is the language Google recommends. You create a project from a template, build the screens with Jetpack Compose, and run them on the Android Emulator or on a phone connected over USB with developer options turned on. Android Studio also produces the signed App Bundle that Google Play takes.
It is free and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. The cost is the learning curve, Kotlin, Gradle and the Android SDK, and the result runs only on Android.
How do you make an Android app with React Native?
React Native writes the app in TypeScript and draws Android's own UI components, and Expo adds the tooling around it: a project template, a library of native modules, and EAS to build the app in the cloud. The same code becomes the iPhone app, so one project covers both stores. You test on an Android phone with Expo Go, which loads the app over the network as you edit it.
Whether one codebase is the right call depends on the app; React Native vs Swift covers the cases where it is not.
What is the easiest way to make an Android app?
An online Android app builder that writes real code, so there is nothing to install and nothing to throw away later. In Vibely:
- Start a mobile project and describe the app: the screens, the data and what a person does. For example: "A delivery driver app with today's stops, a map link for each one, and a photo when the parcel is dropped off."
- Let the agent build it. It writes the Expo project, then runs the type check, lint and a build of each platform, and fixes what they report.
- Open it on your phone. In the Expo Go app, tap scan and scan the QR code from the project header.
- Change it in plain words until it does what you want.
- Publish to Google Play from the Publish panel.
Mobile apps are on every Vibely plan, including Free. Publishing to Google Play and the App Store is on the Lite, Pro and Business plans, and builds use no credits. The project is a standard Expo app, so you can sync it to GitHub and keep working on it anywhere.
How do you test an Android app on your phone?
- Expo Go: scan the QR code and changes appear on the phone within seconds.
- A development build: installs like a normal app, and is needed once the app uses a native module Expo Go does not include.
- Google Play internal testing: up to 100 testers you add by Google account, who install from Play with no Google review.
How do you publish an Android app on Google Play?
Create a Google Play Console account for a one-time $25, create the app and upload its first build by hand, fill in the store listing, content rating and Data safety form, then release it through the testing tracks to production. A personal account created after November 13, 2023 must first run a closed test with at least 12 testers for 14 days. How to publish an app on the Google Play Store walks through every step.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make an Android app for free?
Yes. Android Studio, Expo and Expo Go are free, and so is Vibely's Free plan for building and testing on your phone. Publishing on Google Play costs a $25 one-time fee.
Do I need Android Studio?
Only for native Kotlin development. With React Native and Expo, or with Vibely, EAS builds the Android app in the cloud, so Android Studio is never required.
Can the same app run on iPhone?
A React Native app can: the same project builds for Android and iOS. A Kotlin app runs only on Android, so an iPhone version is a second app. See how to make an iOS app for that side.
Can I make an Android app without coding?
Yes, with an AI app builder: you describe the app and it writes the code. With Vibely that code is a normal Expo project you own, so a developer can take it further later.
To try it, start a mobile app on Vibely, describe the first screen, and scan the QR code with Expo Go on your Android phone.