You might need a Mac in order to create your own iOS apps So You Want To Make iPhone Apps? 10 Projects For BeginnersWant to create iPhone and iPad apps? Start by learning the basics of Swift. Read More , but if you’re more of a green alien sort of guy, the Android IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is also available on OS X (among other platforms How to Get An Android Development Environment Set Up in Fedora Linux Read More ).
If you’re ready to move on from creating iPhone apps So You Want To Make iPhone Apps? 10 Projects For BeginnersWant to create iPhone and iPad apps? Start by learning the basics of Swift. Read More , or you’re itching to create the next big thing for Android, installing the IDE is step one of the journey. Or, if we’re moving too fast, why don’t you start with a course So, You Want To Develop Android Apps? Here's How To LearnAfter so many years, one would think that the mobile market is now saturated with every app imaginable to man - but that's not the case. There are plenty of niches that still need to... Read More ?
Why Bother With Android?
If you’re versed in OS X and iOS development, you might be asking yourself why even bother with Android?
Jun 30, 2020 The MAC address (also referred to as the Media Access Control address) is an identifier consisting of 12 characters that are given to any piece of hardware which can access Wifi internet. So, this means that your network adapter has one, as well as your Android smartphone, phablet, or tablet. To run Android apps on Mac Genymotion You can pick Genymotion to run Android apps on Mac without any worry. You can you’re your apps after development at a faster pace. Android SDK tools, Android Studio, and Eclipse are supported by Genymotion. Pros: Your Mac’s webcam can be the video source for the Android phone. Android on VirtualBox Once you install the VirtualBox software, you just need an Android ISO image file using which you can create the Android virtual machine. By selecting the type and version as Linux and following the prompts issued, you will be able to use Android on Mac. The VM works like any other app would on Mac.
Many iOS developers shy away from Android due to device fragmentation and the need to further patch/re-create apps for different version of the OS — of which there are many. I’m not going to attempt to sell you on which of the two is better, as they both offer numerous benefits for developers, but I will say that for app creators who are looking to make a living from their apps, finding some sort of balance between devices is never a bad idea.
Additionally, you’ll find that the overall experience is far less restrictive with Android. For one, Google Play (Android’s App Store) doesn’t have many of the same restrictions as Apple, nor does it require the $99 annual fee for developers (it’s $25 on Google). Google provides you access to Android’s inner workings (by means of an open source model) which allows you to create things like emulators, boot loaders, and customized docks, icons, start screens — you name it — that just aren’t possible with iOS.
If you’re strictly looking at revenue numbers, Apple’s App Store is still going to be your primary target. While Google Play has 60-percent more annual downloads than the App Store, Apple’s App Store actually accounts for 70-percent more yearly app revenue. That’s not to say you can’t be profitable on Android, or that you should avoid the platform altogether, quite the contrary actually.
While Apps might have higher revenue numbers in the Apple App Store, the download numbers are significantly higher with Google Play, making it an intriguing platform for testing and tuning a free app before launching a premium or freemium version.
Eclipse with ADT or Android Studio?
How To Build An Android App
In days past, you had the ever-confusing choice between a bundled package featuring Eclipse and the ADT (Android Developer Tools) plugin, or the official Android Studio, which was based on the IntelliJ platform – a Java-based IDE.
Luckily, recent iterations have seen the process streamlined a bit with just one release, called Android Studio.
In fact, while the option to use Eclipse still exists, Google is officially recommending you start the migration process to Android Studio as support for ADT is ending. If you need help migrating your projects, this Android Developers Blog post should help you out.
Now, if you’re just looking for the emulators that come bundled with Android Studio, it’s important to note that there are other, more lightweight ways How to Emulate Android and Run Android Apps on Your PCIt's actually pretty easy to get Android apps running on your desktop or laptop! Here, we step you through the best methods. Read More to do this on your Windows, OS X, or Linux-based PC without the need for the bulky Android Studio download and install. On a Mac, try BlueStacks, or you can just download and run Android on your Windows PC. If you’re looking for ultra-lightweight Android emulation, try this browser emulator for Chrome How To Run Android Apps in Chrome on Mac / Linux / WindowsIt's now possible to run Android apps in the Chrome browser -- it just takes a little bit of work. Read More .
Getting Up and Running with Android Studio
First we must download and install Android Studio, a package that consists of:
- Android Studio IDE
- Android SDK (software development kit)
- Android 5.0 (Lollipop) Platform
- Android 5.0 emulator system image with Google APIs
Let’s get started.
Launch the .dmg file, and drag Android Studio into the Applications folder.
Open Android Studio and follow the steps laid out by the setup wizard. Occasionally, you’ll run into an error saying the file is “damaged” or untrustworthy and should be moved to the trash. If this happens, you’ll just need to adjust your security and privacy settings to allow the application to run by going to System Preferences > Security & Privacy>General and then selecting Anywhere where it says “Allow apps downloaded from:”
If you need to use Android SDK tools from the command line, you can access them by opening up Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal) and using the following:
/Users/username/Library/Android/sdk/
Just remember to add your username in place of username.
Adding SDK Packages
The Android SDK (software development kit), which comes with the Android Studio package, does not include everything you need to start developing Android apps. The SDK itself is a utility used to separate your tools, platforms and components into packages by using the Android SDK Manager.
So, as such, we’ll have to add some packages in order to get everything ready for development. Don’t worry, it’s a simple process.
First open the SDK manager under Tools > Configure > SDK Manager.
Note: From here on, to keep this concise, we’re going to assume that if I don’t mention something specifically, it means one of two things:
- It’s pre-selected and it’ll install automatically once we’re done.
- You don’t need it… at least right now.
Develop Android App With Python
Ok, let’s continue. Select the following:
- Android SDK Tools
- Android SDK Platform-tools
- Android SDK Build-tools (highest version)
Open the folder for the highest version of Android in the list (5.1.1 as of this writing) and select:
- SDK Platform
- ARM EABI v7a System Image
Open the Extras directory and download the following APIs for the Android Support Library:
- Android Support Repository
- Android Support Library
Open the Extras directory and download the Google Play services package for even more APIs. Add:
- Google Repository
- Google Play Services
Install the packages
- Click Install 22 packages (or however many the SDK manager reports).
- Click each package name on the left to accept the license terms for each.
- Click Install.
Note: Do not exit the SDK manager until the install is complete!
Once the install is complete, you can dive right in and start developing So, You Want To Develop Android Apps? Here's How To LearnAfter so many years, one would think that the mobile market is now saturated with every app imaginable to man - but that's not the case. There are plenty of niches that still need to... Read More and even run Android apps How to Run Android Apps on macOSIf you want to run Android apps on your Mac laptop or desktop computer, this is how you do it. Read More right from your trusty Mac (or Hackintosh) running OS X.
Porting iOS Apps to Android
Due to a lack of similarity in the two operating systems, there isn’t anything that offers a plug and play solution for porting apps from the other OS.
However, there is a program called Apportable I felt was worth pointing out. Apportable essentially translates Swift and Objective-C to run ARM and x86 machine code that Android is able to understand. You’ll also find additional plugins for further lightening your development load, such as the SpriteBuilder Plugin. That said, not all Apple APIs are available on Apportable, so while it’s the best we’ve got, it still isn’t a plug and play solution.
The main benefits of Apportable are in faster cross-compiling without the need for emulators, virtual machines or a Java-programmed alternative. While Java makes for great cross-compatibility in mobile apps, it leaves both the iOS and Android versions feeling, well, not native. In fact, most feel like cheap ports from the other OS.
Again, this isn’t a perfect solution, but it should significantly lighten your workload if you must move back and forth between Android and iOS.
Happy developing, and be sure to share what you come up with us here at Make Use Of.
Have you developed an iOS or Android app? Which platform do you believe offers the best tools for developers?
If you prefer the flavor of Android when you're mobile but like a Mac when it comes to laptops and desktops, then you'll want the two to work well together. The extent of using your Android phone with your Mac is pretty much file transfer.
You can download an app, which lets your Android talk to your Mac, or you can use some other options.
Here's how to use Android with Mac!
How to use Android File Transfer to transfer media from Android to Mac (and vice versa)
The beauty of Android is that transferring media (files, music, videos, etc.) is simple file storage; there's no painful syncing process like there is with iPhone.
Most hardcore Android users won't love this option, but I've had great luck with Android File Transfer.
- Download Android File Transfer.
- Unlock your Android device.
- Connect your Android device to your Mac via USB. This should launch Android File Transfer automatically. If not, just launch it manually.
- Tap Allow on your Android device when prompted.
- You may also be asked to choose the connection type. Choose to transfer media files or whatever variation of that phrase your Android device says.
- Open a Finder window on your Mac.
Drag and drop files from Finder to Android File Transfer. You can create folders in Android File Transfer that'll show up on your Android device.
If you have an SD card in your Android device, you can choose to drop files onto the SD card right in Android File Transfer. You can transfer files from your Android device to your Mac the exact same way — just drag from Android File Transfer to a Finder window or your desktop.
The thing about AFT is that it's quite hit and miss. Sometimes it simply won't recognize your Android. Always make sure you unlock your device before connecting to your Mac.
So continues the awkward dance between Android and Apple products. If your phone isn't recognized, just disconnect it from your Mac and connect it again.
Use Google Drive
Here's where an Android version of AirDrop would come in handy, but we unfortunately don't have that option. Your next best option for file transfer is to save stuff to Google Drive.
Your Google Drive goes with you wherever you have an internet connection, and you can download the files store there onto whichever device you're using. The best part is that you get 15GB of free storage and unlimited photo storage, so there's no need to use up space on your Mac hard drive or your Android device.
Here's how to save to Google Drive on your Mac:
- Launch a web browser. (You can also download the Google Drive app).
- Log in on Google.com.
- Click the apps button on the upper right of the window.
- Click Drive.
- Click New on the upper left of your screen.
- Click File upload. You can also choose to upload an entire folder.
Click Open or hit enter on your keyboard. Your file or folder will upload to Google Drive. It may take a few minutes, depending on how big your upload is.
Alternatively, you can just drag files or folders from a Finder window into the Google Drive window on your browser. In fact, Google Drive just becomes another folder on your Mac, so any time you want to make something available on your Android device, just drag it into the Google Drive folder. Simple as that.
Use another cloud-based service
In the end, connecting your Android device to your Mac via USB doesn't really get the job done. There are manufacturer tools, like Samsung Smart Switch and LG Bridge, but if you don't have a device from either of those manufacturers, then what do you do?
A cloud-based storage service is the easiest way to access files between your Android and your Mac. You can download the apps on your Android device and visit the corresponding websites on your Mac.
We recommend Dropbox, since it's easy to use and you get up to 2GB of cloud storage for free. Like Google Drive, Dropbox acts like just another folder on your Mac, so you can just drag files and folders over as you please and then access them via the Android Dropbox app.
Use an SD card
Many Android devices come equipped with microSD card slot, which allows you to expand their storage. If you have a regular SD adapter, you can just pop that into your Mac and transfer files to and from the card like you would normally when transferring photos from a camera.
Some Android devices have an 'adoptable storage' option, which lets you integrate the SD card as part of the phone's system memory. If you've opted for this, then you can't just remove your SD card at will, so be careful.
Can I do anything else with my Android and my Mac?
Not really, no. Since they're not a part of the same ecosystem, there isn't much else a Mac and Android can do together. That being said, if you don't mind the slight hurdle when it comes to file transfer, then there's no reason you shouldn't have an Android phone or tablet and a Mac together.
Questions?
Sound off in the comments below.
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