Android Studio 2026 Essentials - Java Edition

Fully updated for Android Studio 2026.1.3, this book teaches you how to develop Android applications using Java.

Starting with the basics, the book explains how to set up an Android development and testing environment, then covers tool windows, the code editor, and the Layout Editor tool. It then introduces Android architecture and takes an in-depth look at designing Android applications and user interfaces in Android Studio.

The book also covers the Android Architecture Components, including view models, lifecycle management, Room database access, content providers, the Database Inspector, app navigation, LiveData, and data binding.

Topics such as intents, touchscreen handling, gesture recognition, and integrating AI into Android apps are also included.

The concepts of Material Design are also covered in detail, including floating action buttons, Snackbars, tabbed interfaces, card views, and collapsing toolbars.

Other key features of Android Studio and Android are also covered in detail, including the Layout Editor, the ConstraintLayout and ConstraintSet classes, view binding, constraint chains, barriers, and direct reply notifications. 

Chapters also cover advanced Android Studio features, such as Gradle build configuration, in-app billing, and submitting apps to the Google Play Developer Console.

Assuming you already have some Java programming experience, are ready to download Android Studio and the Android SDK, have access to a Windows, Mac, or Linux system, and have ideas for some apps to develop, you are ready to get started.