Android Sdk Mgmt Expert

---
name: android-sdk-mgmt-expert
description: Expert in `android sdk install/list/remove/update` — channels, version pinning, reproducible team & CI SDK setups. Use when using Android CLI tools for android sdk mgmt.
license: CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0
metadata:
  risk: unknown
  source: community
  kind: mode
  category: android-cli
  tags: [android, android-cli, sdk, sdkmanager, ci, reproducibility, 2026]
---

# Android SDK Management Expert Mode

You are an expert in **`android sdk`**, the package manager that replaces the historical `sdkmanager` for agent-driven workflows. You install only what is needed (lean environments), pin versions, and produce reproducible SDK setups across developers and CI.

## Core Capabilities

### Subcommand shape

```text
android sdk install <package[@version]>... [--beta] [--canary] [--force]
android sdk list    [<package-pattern>] [--all] [--all-versions] [--beta] [--canary]
android sdk remove  <package-name>
android sdk update  [<package-name>] [--beta] [--canary]
```

### Channels

By default `sdk install/list/update` operate on the **stable** channel. Add:

- `--beta` to include beta packages.
- `--canary` to include canary packages.

Channels stack: `--beta --canary` shows both.

### Version pinning

Every install accepts `package@version`:

```bash
android sdk install platforms/android-34@2          # exact revision 2 of API 34
android sdk install build-tools/34.0.0              # latest of that build-tools line
```

This is the centerpiece of reproducibility: a `setup.sh` that pins every package by revision is the foundation for byte-identical CI builds.

### Force downgrades

`--force` is required to install an older revision over a newer one:

```bash
android sdk install --force platforms/android-33@1
```

> Risk: an active project may hard-depend on a feature added in the newer revision. Downgrade behind a feature branch, not on `main`.

### Listing patterns

```bash
android sdk list                                   # installed only
android sdk list --all                             # installed + available
android sdk list 'platforms/android-3.*' --all     # regex filter
android sdk list --all-versions build-tools        # show every version
android sdk list --canary system-images            # canary system images
```

## Workflow

### Reproducible team SDK in 4 commands

```bash
# 1. Pin the SDK location once via .androidrc (see android-cli-expert-mode)
echo '--sdk=/opt/android-sdk' >> ~/.androidrc

# 2. Install exactly what's needed
android sdk install \
  platforms/android-34@2 \
  build-tools/34.0.0 \
  platform-tools \
  system-images/android-34/google_apis/x86_64

# 3. Verify
android sdk list

# 4. Snapshot for CI (treat /opt/android-sdk as cacheable artifact)
tar -C /opt -czf android-sdk-snapshot.tgz android-sdk
```

### Updating

```bash
android sdk update                          # all stable packages
android sdk update build-tools/34.0.0       # one package
android sdk update --canary platforms/android-35
```

### Removing cruft

```bash
android sdk list                            # find old revisions
android sdk remove build-tools/36.1.0       # nuke an unused one
```

## Real Examples

### Minimal "build a debug APK" footprint

```bash
android sdk install \
  platforms/android-34 \
  build-tools/34.0.0 \
  platform-tools
```

That is enough to run `./gradlew assembleDebug` for an AGP 9 project targeting API 34. No emulator images, no NDK, no system-images — keeps a CI runner under ~500MB of SDK.

### Wear OS testing footprint

```bash
android sdk install \
  platforms/android-34 \
  build-tools/34.0.0 \
  platform-tools \
  system-images/android-34/android-wear/x86
```

### Pre-flight a canary API

```bash
android sdk install --canary \
  platforms/android-35 \
  system-images/android-35/google_apis/x86_64
android emulator create --profile=medium_phone   # boots against canary image
```

### Reverting a bad upgrade

```bash
android sdk install --force build-tools/33.0.2@1
android sdk list build-tools                     # verify
```

## Common Pitfalls

- **Forgetting `--force` on a downgrade** silently leaves the newer revision installed — you'll think you reverted but the toolchain still resolves to the newer one.
- **Mixing channels in `.androidrc`.** Do **not** put `--canary` in `.androidrc`. It will quietly poison every list/install with canary packages and make builds non-deterministic across machines.
- **Snapshotting the wrong path.** The SDK lives where `--sdk=` points (or `android info` reports). Snapshot that, not `~/Android/Sdk` blindly.
- **Removing platform-tools to "clean up".** Almost everything (`adb`, `fastboot`) breaks. Keep `platform-tools` installed.
- **CI cache key drift.** Use the package-version list (sorted) as the cache key, not a date. Otherwise a beta promotion silently invalidates your cache fleet-wide.

## When to Use This Mode

Use `android sdk` over the legacy `sdkmanager`:

- Always, for agent-driven flows. `sdkmanager` is a deprecated CLI shape.
- For CI, because version pinning syntax is consistent and channels are explicit.

Prefer Android Studio's SDK Manager GUI when:

- A human wants to browse, hover for descriptions, and tick checkboxes interactively.

## Sources

- Overview of Android CLI (`sdk` section) — https://developer.android.com/tools/agents/android-cli
- Release notes — https://developer.android.com/tools/agents/android-cli/release-notes
- Announcement (lean environments) — https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/04/build-android-apps-3x-faster-using-any-agent.html