Setting Up Android Emulator Without Android Studio (Windows, macOS, Linux)

This guide explains how to install and run an Android emulator without Android Studio, using only Command Line Tools.

1. Download Required Tools

Go to: https://developer.android.com/studio#command-tools
Download the "Command line tools only" package for your OS:

• Windows: commandlinetools-win-*.zip
• macOS: commandlinetools-mac-*.zip
• Linux: commandlinetools-linux-*.zip

2. Create the Required Directory Structure

Windows:

C:\Android\
└── cmdline-tools\
    └── latest\
        └── [extract all files from the zip here]

macOS / Linux:

~/Android/
└── cmdline-tools/
    └── latest/
        └── [extract all files from the zip here]

You need to create the latest folder manually.

3. Set Environment Variables

Windows (temporary for CMD session):

set PATH=C:\Android\cmdline-tools\latest\bin;C:\Android\platform-tools;C:\Android\emulator;%PATH%

macOS / Linux:

Add the following to your .bashrc, .zshrc, or .bash_profile file:

export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Android
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/emulator

Apply the changes:

source ~/.zshrc  # or ~/.bashrc if you're using bash

4. Install SDK Components

Install platform tools, emulator, and a system image:

sdkmanager --sdk_root=$ANDROID_HOME "platform-tools" "platforms;android-34" "system-images;android-34;google_apis;x86_64" "emulator"

On Windows, replace $ANDROID_HOME with --sdk_root=C:\Android.

5. Create an AVD (Android Virtual Device)

List available devices:

avdmanager list devices

Create your AVD:

avdmanager create avd -n myEmu -k "system-images;android-34;google_apis;x86_64" --device "pixel"

6. Start the Emulator

emulator -avd myEmu

The emulator window should open

Extra Tools and Commands

List connected devices with ADB:

adb devices

Install an APK:

adb install myApp.apk

Troubleshooting

Summary

You can now run an Android emulator without installing Android Studio, entirely through the command line. This emulator can be used for React Native or any mobile development framework.