Posted by Xavier Ducrohet – Tech Lead, Android Studio and Adarsh Fernando – Group Product Supervisor, Android Studio
Final 12 months, we doubled our launch frequency for Android Studio with the introduction of Function Drops, a change designed to carry you new options and enhancements extra shortly. Right this moment, we’re excited to announce the following evolution in our launch schedule: we’re shifting to month-to-month steady releases of Android Studio.
This new cadence means you’ll have the ability to get your palms on the most recent options and significant enhancements, quicker than ever earlier than. This is what you may count on: each few months, we’ll introduce a model that incorporates the most recent IntelliJ platform model, resembling Android Studio Narwhal primarily based on IntelliJ 2025.1. You’ll then see Function Drops every month that embody necessary bug fixes and new performance you’ll wish to check out, till it’s time to launch Android Studio with the following platform model of IntelliJ.
You’ve really already skilled this new launch cadence with Android Studio Narwhal! Within the final Function Drop launch we had been capable of take options resembling Agent Mode from Canary to the Steady channel quicker than ever earlier than, making it potential so that you can check out new options, quicker!
Why Month-to-month Releases?
You informed us ready for the following main launch to get a vital bug repair or a quality-of-life enchancment could be irritating. With the transfer to month-to-month releases, we are able to ship these updates to you with out the lengthy delays. This implies you will have entry to the options you need and the fixes you want, proper if you want them.
It is necessary to notice that the Android Emulator and the Android Gradle Plugin will proceed to be up to date individually from Android Studio at a tempo of each two months. And, as all the time, you need not replace these parts to obtain and use the most recent steady model of the IDE every month.
Our Dedication to High quality
A quicker launch cadence does not imply a compromise on high quality. Actually, our potential to launch extra often is a direct results of our long-term funding in our testing infrastructure. This effort started with Challenge Marble, a concerted effort to enhance the standard and testing of Android Studio. Since then, we have been repeatedly bettering and tooling our testing technique to be extra dependable, and to get suggestions from these exams quicker. Final 12 months, we reached a degree the place we might confidently double our releases, and now, we’re able to take the following step with month-to-month updates. This implies you’ll see releases 2X extra typically than earlier than!
We’re additionally persevering with to offer early entry to stable-ready releases. Beforehand, we’ve supplied these alternatives first via Beta releases. With our investments in detecting and addressing points earlier, we’re capable of take a launch from Canary straight into our Launch Candidate (RC) channel with a stable-ready stage of high quality and polish. This provides you an opportunity to check out the most recent options and enhancements earlier than they’re launched to the steady channel and to offer us with useful suggestions.
Replace Month-to-month and Assist Us Enhance
We encourage you to replace to the most recent steady model of Android Studio every month to reap the benefits of the most recent options and enhancements. Your suggestions is important to serving to us make Android Studio the perfect it may be.
This is how one can get entangled:
- Obtain Android Studio Narwhal 3 Function Drop: It’s at present accessible within the Canary channel and is one of the simplest ways to get early entry to new options and to offer us with suggestions earlier than a launch is finalized. If you would like a extra steady construct, obtain this model as quickly because the Launch Candidate turns into accessible.
- Report a bug: For those who encounter a problem, please tell us by reporting a bug. This helps us to determine and repair points extra shortly.
We’re enthusiastic about this new chapter for Android Studio and we’re assured that it’s going to allow you to to construct higher apps, quicker. As all the time, you could be a part of our vibrant Android developer group on LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, or X.
