How to get started with Android Development

How to get started with Android Development

A beginner's guide to Android Development

As a beginner one of the questions you always ask yourself is "How do I get started?" The most important thing in every activity is to get started. The common thing that all great persons and companies have is that they all started at some point.

“Ideas don’t come out fully formed, they only become clearer as you work on them. You just have to get started.” ~ Mark Zuckerberg

In this read, you will discover how to start learning Android development whether you want to be a freelancer or work at an Android mobile app development company.

Java vs Kotlin for Android app development

One of the biggest decisions you’ll need to make as an Android developer is whether you’re going to learn Kotlin or Java. Both languages are officially supported by Google and Android Studio, but they have some distinct differences.

Java has been supported by Google the longest and is what developers have been using to craft Android apps for years. Java is also one of the most in-demand programming languages in the world, which makes it a great choice for those who want to begin a career in development. As the oldest Android programming language, there is also slightly more support for Java vs Kotlin, although it’s not by much.

Kotlin, on the other hand, has become Google’s preferred choice for Android development. This is the default when starting a new app, and it is likely to become more common going forward. Kotlin is also significantly easier to get to grips with if you’re a complete beginner.

For these reasons, Kotlin is probably the language of choice for Android developers that are learning for fun, or that have no aspirations to develop for other platforms. However, Java makes more sense if you’re interested in becoming a professional developer.

You can learn more about the two options here by reading this guide to Kotlin vs Java for Android .

The best way to start learning Android Development is right from the horses' mouth. Google aka the creators of the Android OS has free courses specifically designed to teach you the basics of kotlin and android development even if you're brand new to coding. This could be the best place to start and it's absolutely free.

There are also free codelabs which you can follow step by step at your own pace.

Java resources:

Kotlin resources:

More info on Android development:

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