Feasibility of Android Development with Cursor IDE

2025, Mar 24

Actual Effects

Based on previously shared Using Cursor IDE to Assist Code Development
Testing the feasibility of replacing Android Studio with Cursor (vscode)
Jump directly to the conclusion

Launching a Smartphone Emulator with Cursor (vscode)

Manual Launch Method

Installing Android tool emulator
- Normally, when you install Android Studio, the emulator is installed together
- To use it in your environment, you need to find the corresponding path and add it to your environment variables
- For Windows, add to Environment Variables
```
   C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\emulator
```
- For MacOS, add to the end of .zshrc
```
   export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Library/Android/sdk
   export PATH=$ANDROID_HOME/emulator:$ANDROID_HOME/tools:$ANDROID_HOME/tools/bin:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools:$PATH
```
List the available AVD emulators in your environment using this command
```
 emulator -list-avds
```
Launch the emulator using emulator command
```
 emulator -avd Pixel_7_API_33
```

Using a Plugin to Open the Emulator

Download the emulator plugin from the marketplace
For plugins like the one above, press win/command + shift + p to open the IDE command bar and enter emulator
Then press Enter and follow the instructions to select the emulator you want to use

Can you build Android APK with a single click in Cursor?

One-click build using launch.json

As usual, create .vscode/launch.json in the root directory
Let the IDE or AI generate it directly
Add launch script content

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "type": "android",
            "request": "launch",
            "name": "Android launch",
            "appSrcRoot": "${workspaceRoot}/app/src/main",
            "apkFile": "${workspaceRoot}/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk",
            "adbPort": 5037
        },
        {
            "type": "android",
            "request": "attach",
            "name": "Android attach",
            "appSrcRoot": "${workspaceRoot}/app/src/main",
            "adbPort": 5037,
            "processId": "${command:PickAndroidProcess}"
        }
    ]
}

However, from current testing, native Android support is not complete
For example, when using a script named Android launch
When opening the app, it enters waiting for debugger but
Cursor IDE doesn’t have debug tools like Android Studio, so you can’t proceed to the next step
Debug actions in Cursor (vscode) don’t seem to work

Building with task.json

Through custom tasks
Tools frequently used in Android development as commands
Building the entire workflow effectively
Example: adb, gradle, logcat … etc.

Create .vscode/task.json in the root directory, and let AI generate the related content directly

The following are commonly used (each JSON object is a task). Use as needed.
(Some parameters can be replaced. Or let AI generate non-hardcoded ones. For example, Pixel_7_API_33, package name … etc. below)

{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "Launch Android Emulator",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "emulator -avd Pixel_7_API_33",
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      },
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "List Connected Devices",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb devices",
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      },
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Build Debug APK",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew assembleDebug",
      "group": {
        "kind": "build",
        "isDefault": true
      },
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Install Debug APK (Default Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew installDebug",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Install Debug APK (Specific Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb -s ${input:deviceSerial} install -r ./app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Build & Install Debug APK (Default Device)",
      "dependsOn": [
        "Build Debug APK",
        "Install Debug APK (Default Device)"
      ],
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Build & Install Debug APK (Specific Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew assembleDebug && adb -s ${input:deviceSerial} install -r ./app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Clean Project",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew clean",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Show Logcat (All Logs)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb logcat",
      "group": "none",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "dedicated"
      },
      "isBackground": true
    },
    {
      "label": "Show Logcat (App Logs)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb logcat | grep \"com.sand.democursor\"",
      "group": "none",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "dedicated"
      },
      "isBackground": true
    },
    {
      "label": "Show Logcat (Specific Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb -s ${input:deviceSerial} logcat | grep \"com.sand.democursor\"",
      "group": "none",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "dedicated"
      },
      "isBackground": true
    },
    {
      "label": "Complete Clean and Build",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew clean assembleDebug --stacktrace",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Run App (Default Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb shell am start -n com.sand.democursor/com.sand.democursor.MainActivity",
      "dependsOn": [
        "Build & Install Debug APK (Default Device)"
      ],
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Run App (Specific Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb -s ${input:deviceSerial} shell am start -n com.sand.democursor/com.sand.democursor.MainActivity",
      "dependsOn": [
        "Build & Install Debug APK (Specific Device)"
      ],
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Complete Development Setup (Emulator)",
      "dependsOn": [
        "Launch Android Emulator",
        "Build & Install Debug APK (Default Device)",
        "Run App (Default Device)"
      ],
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Complete Development Setup (Specific Device)",
      "dependsOn": [
        "Build & Install Debug APK (Specific Device)",
        "Run App (Specific Device)"
      ],
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "One-click Build, Install, Launch (Select Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "bash -c 'deviceList=$(adb devices | grep -v \"List of devices\" | grep -v \"^$\" | grep -v \"offline\" | grep -v \"unauthorized\"); if [ -z \"$deviceList\" ]; then echo \"No connected devices found\"; exit 1; fi; PS3=\"Select device number: \"; devices=(); while read -r line; do if [ ! -z \"$line\" ]; then device=$(echo $line | awk \"{print \\$1}\"); devices+=(\"$device\"); fi; done <<< \"$deviceList\"; select device in \"${devices[@]}\"; do if [ ! -z \"$device\" ]; then echo \"Selected device: $device\"; echo \"Building APK...\"; ./gradlew assembleDebug; echo \"Installing APK to device $device...\"; adb -s $device install -r ./app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk; echo \"Launching application...\"; adb -s $device shell am start -n com.sand.democursor/com.sand.democursor.MainActivity; break; fi; done'",
      "group": {
        "kind": "build",
        "isDefault": true
      },
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new",
        "focus": true
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Generate APK Bundle",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew bundleRelease",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Build Release APK",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew assembleRelease",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Install Release APK (Specific Device)",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb -s ${input:deviceSerial} install -r ./app/build/outputs/apk/release/app-release.apk",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": [],
      "presentation": {
        "reveal": "always",
        "panel": "new"
      }
    },
    {
      "label": "Run Tests",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "./gradlew test",
      "group": "test",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Kill ADB Server",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb kill-server",
      "group": "none",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Start ADB Server",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb start-server",
      "group": "none",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Restart ADB Server",
      "dependsOn": [
        "Kill ADB Server",
        "Start ADB Server"
      ],
      "group": "none",
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "Run App Without Debug Wait",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "adb shell am start -n com.sand.democursor/com.sand.democursor.MainActivity --ei 'wait_for_debugger' 0",
      "group": "build",
      "problemMatcher": []
    }
  ],
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "deviceSerial",
      "type": "promptString",
      "description": "Enter the target device serial number (you can check with the 'adb devices' command)"
    }
  ]
}

Then use the shortcut key win/command + shift + p to open the input box, type Run Task, and press Enter
You can ultimately customize the build flow according to your needs

Can Cursor use the common shortcut keys in Android Studio?

Move Entire Line Up/Down

During development, you often need to adjust the position of code or move to another line to test the effect
- In AS, use win/command + shift + ↑/↓
- In Cursor(vscode), use alt/option + ↑/↓

Duplicate Entire Line

When there is similar code, you might want to quickly duplicate a whole line
- In AS, use win/command + D
- In Cursor(vscode), use win/command + shift + D

Quick Completion/Suggestions

Quick completion that was frequently used in Android Studio
- In AS, use Alt/option + Enter
- In Cursor(vscode), use win/command + .

Pros and Cons of Android Development with Cursor

Pros

Create code through prompts using Cursor’s built-in AI tools
Lightweight
- Doesn’t consume as many resources as Android Studio, suitable for lower-spec devices
- Faster startup speed
Higher customizability
- Can manually set up tasks.json and launch.json and fully customize to your needs
- Can extend some features (such as Kotlin and ADB operations) through plugins
Focus on pure code creation
- Suitable for developers who are accustomed to command operations

Cons

Need to build the development workflow manually
- Workflows that Android Studio natively supports like build, run, debug, etc., require setting up tasks.json or launch.json yourself in Cursor
Some features are not supported, suitable for developers familiar with these aspects
- For example, commonly used features like ViewBinding, DataBinding, Layout Inspector
Lack of UI design tools
- Unable to design UI by direct drag and drop like in Android Studio, need to write all XML or Jetpack Compose by hand (not a problem if you’re familiar with these)
Gradle Sync and Build can become cumbersome
- Need to run Gradle Sync manually or write test scripts
Weak emulator and device management
- Need to start manually or write scripts to run
Inferior debugging experience
- Android Studio provides complete Logcat monitoring and Breakpoint debugging, but Cursor’s debugger doesn’t seem to work with Android native in actual testing
- wait-for-debugger issues

Therefore, it is still recommended to use Cursor and AS alternately. If you are familiar with everything, you can use it just as a pure editor along with AI

Other

mac / win keyboard correspondence
flutter

# cursor