Install Android Studio, create a virtual Pixel phone, and open your Expo app on it so you can test Android without owning one.
I don't have an Android phone. Set up an Android emulator for my Expo app
How it works
- Install Android Studio: Vovy downloads Android Studio and runs its setup wizard with the standard options, which installs the Android SDK, the toolkit Expo needs to talk to Android.
- Set the ANDROID_HOME path: Vovy adds ANDROID_HOME and platform-tools to your shell profile. Skipping this is why people see "adb: command not found".
- Create a virtual device: In Device Manager, Vovy creates a recent Pixel with a current system image. On Apple Silicon Macs it picks the arm64 image so it runs fast.
- Open your app on it: With the emulator running, Vovy starts npx expo start and presses a. Expo installs Expo Go on the emulator and loads your app.
- Show what looks different: Vovy screenshots iOS and Android side by side and flags differences like the back button, fonts and status bar, so you know what to check.
What you provide
- A Mac with about 15 GB free
- An Expo project
What you get
- Android Studio and SDK installed
- A virtual Pixel phone
- Your app running on Android
- A side-by-side comparison card
FAQ
Is Android Studio free?
Yes. Android Studio and the emulator are free. You only pay Google $25 once when you publish to Google Play.
Why is the emulator so slow?
Usually it is using the wrong system image. On Apple Silicon Macs, an arm64 image runs far faster than an x86 one.
Do I have to learn Android Studio?
Barely. You only use it to create and start the emulator. Your code stays in Cursor or your editor.
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