Getting Started

This guide gets the project running on your machine: clone, build the debug variant, then optionally configure Firebase and release signing.

Prerequisites

Android Studio Quail 2 (2026.1.2), or a later release supporting AGP 9.3. Check the official compatibility table before choosing an IDE; this project pins AGP 9.3.1.
JDK 21 for both Android Studio's Gradle JDK and command-line builds (JAVA_HOME). Check the command-line runtime with ./gradlew --version after cloning.
Android SDK Platform 37 (the project's compileSdk) and Android SDK Platform-Tools, installed through Android Studio's SDK Manager. Accept the SDK licenses when prompted.
An Android device or emulator running API 24 (Android 7.0) or higher. Use an emulator image with Google Play services when testing Google Sign-In.

Quick Start

Clone and enter the checkout:

git clone --depth 1 -b main https://github.com/atick-faisal/Jetpack-Android-Starter.git
cd Jetpack-Android-Starter

Open the checkout in Android Studio, select JDK 21 as the Gradle JDK, and let Gradle sync. Studio records your SDK location in ignored local.properties. For command-line-only setup, create that file with sdk.dir=/absolute/path/to/Android/sdk for your SDK installation.
Build the debug variant:
```
./gradlew assembleDebug
```
The APK is written to app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk.
Start an emulator, or connect a device with USB debugging enabled and authorize the computer. Select it in Android Studio and run the app configuration. Alternatively, with one device connected, install from the terminal:
```
./gradlew installDebug
```
Then open Jetpack from the device's launcher. Installation alone does not launch the app.

The tracked template google-services.json allows a fresh checkout to build and open the app. Authentication and remote sync require your own Firebase project; a successful build does not verify access to those services. Follow the setup below before testing sign-in and Firestore.

Setting Up Firebase Features

This project includes Firebase integration for authentication, Firestore, and crash reporting. The app also includes Analytics and Performance SDK dependencies; see the Firebase guide for the configured scope.

Note

For complete setup instructions, see the Firebase Setup Guide. It covers creating your Firebase project, configuring Authentication (Google Sign-In and Email/Password), setting up Firestore, and downloading google-services.json.

Release Build Setup

Create a keystore file using Android Studio's "Generate Signed Bundle/APK" tool, then place it in the app/ directory. Create keystore.properties in the project root:

storePassword=your-store-password
keyPassword=your-key-password
keyAlias=your-key-alias
storeFile=your-keystore-file.jks

storeFile is resolved relative to app/, so the example names a file directly inside that directory. These values are placeholders; use your own signing credentials.

Build the release variant:

./gradlew assembleRelease

Caution

If keystore.properties is missing, app/build.gradle.kts does not fail the build — it silently signs the release variant with the debug key, warning only via a println that's easy to miss in build output. A debug-signed release APK can be installed, but Google Play rejects debug-signed uploads. Switching to a different signing certificate normally prevents an in-place update of an installed app; keep the same signing identity for updates. Uninstalling to change certificates removes app data. Never commit keystore.properties, the keystore file, or your real google-services.json.

IDE Setup

Android Studio reads the project's .editorconfig; use the project's Spotless commands for repository formatting (see Build & Tooling).
After Gradle sync, open a Kotlin file with an @Preview composable and select Design or Split to view it. See Compose Preview and the project's component guide for preview setup.
Use the provided .run/ configurations for common tasks — "Signing Report" gets the debug SHA-1 needed for Google Sign-In