Run AVD Emulator without Android Studio

Question

is there a way to run the emulator without starting the Android Studio first. Perhaps from the command line. I know that this feature was available in older versions and has vanished since then. But perhaps someone found out how to do it anyways?

Answer 1

The way to run the emulator from the console (I assume that you installed it before, using Android Studio) is:

run

cd ~/Android/Sdk/tools/bin && ./avdmanager list avd

OR

cd ~/Android/Sdk/tools && ./emulator -list-avds

You will get the list od your virtual installed devices. In my case it was:

Available Android Virtual Devices:
  Name: Galaxy_Nexus_API_17
  Device: Galaxy Nexus (Google)
  Path: /home/piotr/.android/avd/Galaxy_Nexus_API_17.avd
  Target: Google APIs (Google Inc.)
  Based on: Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) Tag/ABI: google_apis/x86
  Skin: galaxy_nexus
  Sdcard: /home/piotr/.android/avd/Galaxy_Nexus_API_17.avd/sdcard.img

Copy name of the device you want to run and then

cd ~/Android/Sdk/tools && ./emulator -avd NAME_OF_YOUR_DEVICE

in my case:

cd ~/Android/Sdk/tools && ./emulator -avd Nexus_5X_API_23

Answer 2

On MacOS

First list down the installed emulators

~/Library/Android/sdk/tools/emulator -list-avds

then run an emulator

~/Library/Android/sdk/tools/emulator -avd Nexus_5X_API_27

Answer 3

You can make a batch file, that will open your emulator directly without opening Android Studio. If you are using Windows:

• Open Notepad

• New file

• Copy the next lines into your file:

   cd /d C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\tools
   emulator @[YOUR_EMULATOR_DEVICE_NAME]
  

  Notes:

• Replace [YOUR_EMULATOR_DEVICE_NAME] with the device name you created in emulator

• To get the device name go to: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Android\sdk\tools

• Run cmd and type: emulator -list-avds

• Copy the device name and paste it in the batch file

• Save the file as emulator.bat and close

• Now double click on emulator.bat and you got the emulator running!

Answer 4

Try this

1. Complete Video tutorials (For all windows versions)

OR

2. Text tutorials

• Open the command prompt and change the directory where your sdk is placed D:\Softwares\Android\sdk\tools\bin>

• now add your avdmanager in this,now your full code is D:\Softwares\Android\sdk\tools\bin>avdmanager list avd

• it will show you a list of emulator device that you have already created after few seconds

• now typecd..

• and run your emulator with this cmd, Here my emulator name is Tablet_API_25 so I have typed this name after the -avd.

  D:\Softwares\Android\sdk\tools>emulator -avd Tablet_API_25

EDIT : For Android Studio 3.2 or later, the path changes to D:\Softwares\Android\sdk\emulator\emulator -avd Tablet_API_25

i.e. %ANDROID_HOME%\tools\emulator -avd [AVD NAME]