Create phone app android

My First App: How to Create Your First Android App Step by Step

To create a native Android app, one that can directly use all the features and functionality available on an Android phone or tablet, you need to use the Android platform’s Java API framework. This is the API that allows you to perform common tasks such as drawing text, shapes, and colors on the screen, playing sounds or videos, and interacting with a device’s hardware sensors. Over the years, the Android API framework has evolved to become more stable, intuitive, and concise. As a result, being an Android developer today is easier than ever—even more so if you use Android Studio, the official tool for working with the framework.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create your first Android app. While doing so, I’ll also introduce you to important Android-specific concepts such as views, layouts, and activities.

We’ll be starting from scratch to create a very simple app in this tutorial. If you prefer writing less code or need to develop your app as quickly as possible, however, consider using one of the native Android app templates available on CodeCanyon.

Using an app template, you can have a polished, ready-to-publish app in just a matter of hours. You can learn how to use an Android app template by referring to the following tutorial:

Prerequisites

To be able to follow along, you’ll need:

• the latest version of Android Studio
• a device or emulator running Android Marshmallow or higher

If you don’t have Android Studio, do refer to the following tutorial to learn how to install and configure it:

1. Create a New Project

You’ll need an Android Studio project to design, develop, and build your app. So launch Android Studio and click on the Start a new Android Studio project button.

On the next screen, choose Add No Activity because we don’t want to use any of the templates offered by Android Studio. Then press Next to proceed.

You’ll now see a form where you can enter important details about your app, such as its name and package name. The name is, of course, the name your users will see on their phones when they install your app.

The package name, on the other hand, is a unique identifier for your app on Google Play. You must follow the Java package naming conventions while specifying it. For example, if your app’s name is MyFirstApp and you work for an organization whose website address is example.com, the package name would ideally be «com.example.myfirstapp».

Next, you must decide the programming language you want to use while coding the app. For now, select Java and press Finish.

Android Studio will now take a minute or two to generate and configure the project.

2. Create an Activity

An activity is one of the most important components of an Android app. It is what allows you to create and display a user interface to your users. An app can have one or more activities, each allowing the user to perform an action. For example, an email client app can have three activities: one for the user to sign up, one to sign in, and one to compose an email.

To keep this tutorial simple, we’ll be creating an app with just one activity. To create the activity, in the Project panel of Android Studio, right-click on app and select New > Activity > Empty Activity.

In the dialog that pops up, type in MainActivity as the name of the activity, check the Launcher Activity option, and press Finish.

Checking the Launcher Activity option is important because it is what allows your users to open the activity using an Android launcher. As such, a launcher activity serves as an entry point to your app.

3. Create a Layout

Each activity usually has at least one layout associated with it. When you created your activity in the previous step, you also generated an empty layout for it. To take a look at it, open the activity_main.xml file.

An activity’s layout primarily consists of views and view groups. A view, sometimes referred to as a widget, is an individual component of your user interface. Buttons, text fields, labels, and progress bars are common examples of views. A view group is a component that can serve as a container for views. Usually, view groups also help you position and set the dimensions of your views.

ConstraintLayout is one of the most powerful and flexible view groups available today. By default, it is the root node of your activity’s layout XML file. It looks like this:

We’ll be creating a simple clock app in this tutorial. In addition to the local time, it will be able to show the current time in two different countries: India and Germany.

To allow the user to choose the country they’re interested in, our layout will have two Button views, one for Germany, and one for India. And to actually show the time, our layout will have a TextClock view.

Accordingly, add the following code inside the ConstraintLayout :

Note that each view must have the layout_width and layout_height properties. They decide how large the view is. Other properties such as layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf and layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf are necessary to position the view. With the above code, the TextClock view will be placed at the center of the screen, and both the Button views towards the bottom of the screen.

By default, the TextClock view only shows the hours and minutes. The format12Hour property, however, allows you to change that. In the above code, its value is set to h:mm:ss a . This tells the TextClock view that it should display the hours, minutes, seconds, and also an AM/PM suffix.

Also note that each Button view has an onClick property. This property is used to assign click event handlers to the buttons.

The handlers don’t exist yet, but you can ask Android Studio to generate them for you. To do so, hover over the name of the handler until you see a red light bulb appear beside it. Then click on the light bulb and select the second option, the one with the yellow light bulb.

At this point, you can try pressing Shift-F10 to run the app. If there are no errors in your XML code, you should see something like this on your phone or emulator:

Although the buttons don’t work yet, the TextClock view should show the local time, updating itself every second.

4. Implement Event Handlers

When you generated event handlers for the two buttons, Android Studio added two methods to your activity’s Java file, MainActivity.java. If you open it, you should find the following code in it:

Inside the event handlers, all we need to do is change the time zone of the TextClock view. But how do you reference a view that’s in your layout XML file from inside your Java file? Well, you just use the findViewById() method.

Once you have a reference to the TextClock view, you can call its setTimeZone() method to change its time zone. So add the following code inside the onClickGermany() method:

Similarly, add the following code inside the onClickIndia() method:

If you’re wondering what R is, it’s an auto-generated class that contains, among other things, the IDs of all the views you have in your layouts. The findViewById() method expects you to use this class while passing an ID to it.

At this point, you can press Shift-F10 again to re-run the app. You should now be able to click on the buttons to change the clock’s time zone.

Conclusion

You just created your first fully functional, native app for Android! I encourage you to make a few changes to it. For instance, you could try using other time formats or time zones. You could also try changing the positions of the buttons and the clock view.

There are dozens of views and view groups you can use to create your apps. Do refer to the official documentation to learn about them.

Android App Templates and UI Kits From CodeCanyon

You may have noticed that our app looks very plain and simple. That’s because we’re using the default theme, without applying any styles to our views. CodeCanyon is full of Android UI kits that offer beautiful, hand-crafted styles you can apply to your views.

The kits generally also have several custom views and layouts. You can refer to the following articles to learn more about them:

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How to Create an Android App in 3 Easy Steps?

Last Updated on October 4th, 2021

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The Best Appy Pie App Maker Features for Your Android App

Photo/Video

With photo and video features in your app, you can easily showcase your products and services, and attract your target audience.

Social Network

The social network feature makes it easy for you to connect with users through your own social network. Just like Facebook, it allows users to post updates, comments, and like posts.

Push Notifications

Push notifications is the most powerful feature that proves to be beneficial in instantly updating users about the latest news, promotions, and offers, etc.

In-App purchases

Create subscription based models and more with in-app purchases within your Android app. Lock features and functionalities behind paywalls with ease. You can even create completely paid apps with this feature.

Shopping Cart

The shopping cart feature is essential for apps that sell products. Allow your app users to add items to their shopping carts to make purchasing products off of your app easy.

App Analytics

Undoubtedly one of the best features, app analytics helps you analyze your app performance and keep track of user behavior, further benefitting you in delivering an amazing user experience.

Website

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Directory

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Contact

One of the top Appy Pie’s Android app builder features, contact lets you to share important contact details with your users, thus providing an easy way to connect with you in times of need.

Radio & Audio

The radio & audio feature allows you to add sound to your app. This feature is great for podcasts, radio, and music apps. It can also be used for apps that provide online education, training courses, or for personalized messaging and chatting apps.

Why You Should Build Android Mobile Apps?

If you are clear about what you need and are planning to build and launch your own applications, going the Android way will certainly turn your fortune around. Not only are Android users high, compared to Apple, it is also quite cost-effective than iOS, when it comes to publishing app on app stores. Here are some top reasons why you should build Android mobile app:

Open Source

Being an open source platform, Android has comparatively low entry barriers, thus allowing you to develop apps easily at lower prices.

Multi-Network Distribution

Apart from Google Play Store, Android apps can also be distributed through third-party app stores, helping you create a great impact and reach out to a wider audience.

Easy App Approval Process

Publishing a mobile app on Google Play is a simple undertaking. With flexible submission policies, and quick approval process, you can make your Android app available to the world with great ease.

Multi-Device Functionality

Android apps work well on a range of devices including smart TVs, tablets, portable media players, cameras, car systems, smartwatches and much more.

Customizable User Interface

User interface plays a major role in the success of an app, and when it comes to Android apps, their highly customizable user interface makes it easy for app owners to manage them and deliver enhanced user experience.

Low Barriers to Entry

Android has a low barrier to entry, which makes it simple for you to leverage any computer device and build amazing apps. However, you need to pay a one-time $25 registration fee for a Google Play Developer Console account to distribute your Android app globally.

Market Share

As of November 2020, the global share for Android is 71.18%. When you build an Android app this is the sharpest edge you get. The more audience you have at your disposal, greater would be the chances of your app being a success.

Portability

As Android apps are developed using Java, these apps can be easily ported to almost every other mobile operating system. Even better you can port an Android app to even the Chrome OS! This portability makes Android app development quite lucrative.

Secure platform

The platform is Linux based, which assures you about the security and crash-free operation of your app. In the entire existence of the platform, there is not even a single instance of a crash or information leak.

What are the Benefits of Android Apps?

A dedicated Android app can benefit in numerous ways as follows:

For Businesses

• Increased productivity

Help employees be more productive by providing them with the information they need at their fingertips.

Improved customer service

Gives customers access to important company information and allows them to contact you directly from within the Android app itself.

Enhanced revenues

Leads to increased sales or leads for your business, which is always good news!

Increased brand awareness

Easier to promote and market the company as well as reach out to customers and potential clients.

Efficient data collection

Collects data more efficiently by allowing employees access information at all times without having to go back and forth between different programs.

For Personal Use

• Easy to download and install

Easily download and install Android apps on your smartphone or tablet by visiting Google Play Store.

Customizable

Customize your phone with Android apps like changing themes, wallpapers etc., according to your choice or taste.

Free support

Google Play Store provides free support for all Android apps, including installation of updates, if any.

Security

Android apps are safe and secure to use as they have been tested by the developers before being uploaded to the store.

No need to root your phone

You don’t have to root your phone or tablet device in order to install android apps on it.

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Top Frequently Asked Questions

How can I create an Android application?

Creating Android apps with Appy Pie Android app builder is as easy as pie. No coding skills required. Follow steps below to create your own Android app in a few minutes:

• Go to Appy Pie App Builder and click on “Create your app”
• Enter your business name and click on Next
• Choose the category that best fits your business
• Pick a color scheme you like
• Select the device to test your app on
• Customize your app design the way you want and click on Save and Continue
• Take a deep breath, your app is getting ready. Once built, scan the QR code or send the app installation link to your device via email or SMS, and test the demo app
• Go to My Apps section by opening the Welcome drop down menu present in top navigation
• Click on Edit option to edit your app.
• You will see the Basic plan. You can either go with Try Now or Buy Now option. The ‘Try now’ option comes with a 7-Day Trial so that you are fully satisfied with the app before you make the purchase.
  Please note whichever option you choose, you need to provide credit card details. We use credit card details to check the authenticity of the users.
• On the creator software, you can add your desired features
• Once you are done, click on Save and Continue to finish creating your app

How to create an android app without coding?

Here are the steps to help you create an android app without coding:

• Go to Appy Pie Android App Builder and click on “Create your app”
• Enter business name, then choose category and color scheme
• Select the device to test your app on
• Customize the app design and click on Save and Continue
• Go to My Apps section and click on Edit option to edit the app as per your needs
• Drag and drop your desired features and create your own Android app in just a few minutes

What programming language is used for Android Apps?

The official programming language used for Android Apps is Java. Some other popular programming languages are Kotlin, C/C++, C#, Phongap, etc.

How much does it cost to make an android app?

You can make an Android app under free trial plan using Appy Pie’s Android app builder. However, if you want to publish it on Google Play Store, you need to upgrade your app to one of our paid plans. Starting from just $18 per month, we have different SMB and enterprise plans, which you can check on Appy Pie Pricing.

How to Download Android APK File and Install your Android App?

Follow the steps below to easily download Android APK file and install your android app on your Android device:

1. Login to your Appy Pie account
2. Go to My Apps area and click on Test app on device
3. Scan the QR code, or send app installation link via email or SMS to your Android device
4. Click on the link to download the Android APK file
5. A popup will appear redirecting you to your default browser’s page
6. Once the Android APK file is downloaded, tap open it
7. You will now be asked to allow installation from unknown sources. Enable it
8. Your Android app will start installing
9. Once installed, test your app the way you want

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