How to Install Android Studio on Linux Mint

Android Studio is Google’s official integrated development environment (IDE) for building Android applications. Whether you want to create your first mobile app, build a side project, or develop professionally for the Play Store, Android Studio provides the complete toolkit: a code editor with intelligent completion, a device emulator for testing across screen sizes, and debugging tools to track down issues. Additionally, the IDE supports Java, Kotlin, and C++ for native development, along with a visual layout editor for designing user interfaces. For official documentation, visit the Android Studio website.

By the end of this guide, you will have Android Studio installed and running on Linux Mint, ready to create, test, and debug Android applications. The instructions cover two installation methods: a third-party PPA that integrates with APT for system-wide installation, and Flatpak for a sandboxed setup with automatic updates from Flathub.

Choose Your Android Studio Installation Method

Linux Mint offers two reliable ways to install Android Studio. Each method has trade-offs in terms of update speed, system integration, and maintenance. The following table summarizes your options:

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
PPA (APT)	Maarten Fonville PPA	Latest stable	Automatic via APT upgrade	Users who prefer native package management
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Automatic via Flatpak update	Users who want sandboxed apps with simple updates

For most users, the Flatpak method is recommended because Linux Mint includes Flatpak with Flathub enabled by default, making installation straightforward. However, the PPA method is a solid alternative if you prefer traditional APT package management or need tighter system integration.

Update Linux Mint Before Installation

Before installing any new software, update your system to ensure all existing packages are current. This step prevents dependency conflicts and ensures you have the latest security patches.

Open a terminal with Ctrl+Alt+T and run the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command refreshes your package index and upgrades any outdated packages. Once complete, proceed with your chosen installation method.

Method 1: Install Android Studio via Launchpad PPA

The Maarten Fonville PPA provides automatically generated builds of the latest Android Studio releases. This method integrates with your system’s APT package manager, allowing updates through the standard apt upgrade workflow.

Import the Android Studio PPA

First, add the PPA to your system’s software sources. The -y flag automatically confirms the addition:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:maarten-fonville/android-studio -y

This command imports the PPA’s signing key and adds the repository to your APT sources. Linux Mint automatically maps its codenames to the corresponding Ubuntu codenames, so the PPA works on both Mint 21.x (based on Ubuntu 22.04) and Mint 22.x (based on Ubuntu 24.04).

Install Android Studio with APT

After adding the PPA, refresh your package index to include the new repository:

sudo apt update

Next, install Android Studio:

sudo apt install android-studio

This installation downloads approximately 1 GB of data and installs the IDE to /opt/android-studio. Once complete, Android Studio appears in your application menu.

Verify the PPA Installation

Finally, confirm the installation by checking which version APT installed:

apt-cache policy android-studio

You should see output similar to the following, showing the installed version from the PPA:

android-studio:
  Installed: 202x.x.x.x~noble+0
  Candidate: 202x.x.x.x~noble+0
  Version table:
 *** 202x.x.x.x~noble+0 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/maarten-fonville/android-studio/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Method 2: Install Android Studio via Flatpak

Alternatively, Flatpak provides a sandboxed installation that isolates Android Studio from your system. Since Linux Mint includes Flatpak with the Flathub repository enabled by default, this method is especially convenient.

Verify Flatpak Is Available

Linux Mint ships with Flatpak pre-installed, so this step typically confirms what is already in place. If you previously removed Flatpak or want to verify, check the installed version:

flatpak --version

You should see output similar to this, confirming Flatpak is available:

Flatpak 1.x.x

However, if Flatpak is missing, you can install it and enable Flathub by following our Flatpak guide for Linux Mint.

Ensure the Flathub Repository Is Enabled

Although Linux Mint enables Flathub by default, if you need to add it manually, run the following command:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

The --if-not-exists flag prevents errors if Flathub is already configured. Using sudo adds the repository system-wide, making applications available to all users on the machine.

Install Android Studio with Flatpak

Now that Flathub is available, install Android Studio using the following command:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.google.AndroidStudio -y

The -y flag automatically confirms the installation. Using sudo installs Android Studio system-wide, matching the scope of the Flathub remote added earlier. This consistency ensures updates and removals work correctly.

Verify the Flatpak Installation

After installation, confirm Android Studio is available by listing its details:

flatpak info com.google.AndroidStudio

You should see output similar to this, showing the installed version:

Android Studio - IDE for Android app development

          ID: com.google.AndroidStudio
         Ref: app/com.google.AndroidStudio/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable
     Version: 202x.x.x.x
     License: proprietary
      Origin: flathub
 Installation: system

Launch Android Studio

After installation, you can open Android Studio from the terminal or the application menu. The first launch triggers a setup wizard that downloads additional SDK components.

Launch from Terminal

If you installed via the PPA (APT method), launch Android Studio with:

android-studio

Alternatively, for Flatpak installations, use the Flatpak run command:

flatpak run com.google.AndroidStudio

Launch from Applications Menu

Alternatively, for a graphical approach, open Android Studio through your desktop environment:

Menu > Programming > Android Studio

Both installation methods create a menu entry in the Programming category. Simply click the icon to start the setup wizard.

Complete the First-Time Setup

On first launch, Android Studio presents a setup wizard that downloads the Android SDK, platform tools, and an emulator system image. This process requires approximately 3-5 GB of additional disk space and may take several minutes, depending on your internet connection.

Simply follow the wizard prompts to select a standard installation or customize which SDK components to install. Once complete, the main Android Studio welcome screen appears:

Managing Android Studio

After installation, you will periodically need to update Android Studio or remove it if no longer needed. The update and removal commands differ based on your installation method.

Update Android Studio

Regularly keeping Android Studio current ensures you have the latest features, bug fixes, and security updates.

Update via APT (PPA Installation)

For PPA installations, update Android Studio along with your other system packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Alternatively, update only Android Studio without upgrading other packages:

sudo apt install --only-upgrade android-studio

Update via Flatpak

For Flatpak installations, update all Flatpak applications including Android Studio:

sudo flatpak update

This command checks for updates across all installed Flatpak applications and applies them.

Remove Android Studio

If you no longer need Android Studio, remove it using the method matching your installation.

Remove via APT (PPA Installation)

First, uninstall the Android Studio package and clean up orphaned dependencies:

sudo apt remove android-studio
sudo apt autoremove

The autoremove command removes packages that were automatically installed as dependencies but are no longer needed.

Next, remove the PPA from your system to prevent future update checks against it:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:maarten-fonville/android-studio -y
sudo apt update

Running apt update after removing the PPA clears the cached package information and prevents stale version data from appearing in future queries.

Remove via Flatpak

Alternatively, for Flatpak installations, uninstall Android Studio with:

sudo flatpak uninstall com.google.AndroidStudio

During uninstallation, Flatpak may prompt you to remove unused runtimes. Accept this to reclaim disk space from shared libraries no longer needed by other applications.

Remove User Data and SDK Files

Warning: The following commands permanently delete your Android Studio configuration, SDK installations, and project-related caches. Back up any projects or custom configurations before proceeding. These directories can consume 5-20 GB depending on how many SDK versions and emulator images you installed.

Additionally, Android Studio stores user data in your home directory. To fully remove all traces after uninstalling the application, delete these directories:

rm -rf ~/.android
rm -rf ~/.config/Google/AndroidStudio*
rm -rf ~/.local/share/Google/AndroidStudio*
rm -rf ~/Android

Furthermore, for Flatpak installations, Android Studio stores sandboxed data in an additional location. Remove it with:

rm -rf ~/.var/app/com.google.AndroidStudio

The ~/Android directory contains the Android SDK, platform tools, and emulator system images. Only delete it if you do not plan to use any Android development tools in the future.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Android Studio on Linux occasionally encounters issues related to virtualization, permissions, or system configuration. The following solutions address the most common problems.

Android Emulator Requires KVM

The Android emulator uses KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) for hardware acceleration. Without KVM, the emulator runs slowly or fails to start entirely.

First, check if your CPU supports virtualization and KVM is available:

egrep -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo

You should see output similar to this if virtualization is supported:

8

Any number greater than 0 means your CPU supports virtualization. A result of 0 means hardware virtualization is disabled or unsupported. Next, verify KVM is accessible:

ls -la /dev/kvm

You should see output similar to this, showing that the KVM device exists and is accessible:

crw-rw---- 1 root kvm 10, 232 [date] /dev/kvm

However, if the device exists but you get a “permission denied” error when running the emulator, add your user to the kvm group:

sudo usermod -aG kvm $USER

Then log out and back in for the group change to take effect. If /dev/kvm does not exist, you may need to enable virtualization in your BIOS/UEFI settings or install the KVM kernel modules.

Flatpak Permission Issues

Flatpak applications run in a sandbox, which can occasionally cause issues accessing files outside standard locations. If Android Studio cannot access project files or connected devices, you may need to adjust permissions.

To resolve this, grant Android Studio access to your entire home directory for project files stored in non-standard locations:

flatpak override --user --filesystem=home com.google.AndroidStudio

Similarly, for USB device access when debugging physical Android devices, ensure you are in the plugdev group:

sudo usermod -aG plugdev $USER

SDK Manager Download Failures

If the SDK Manager fails to download components, the issue is typically network-related. Ensure your firewall or proxy allows connections to dl.google.com and services.gradle.org.

Additionally, you can try running Android Studio from the terminal to see detailed error messages:

android-studio

For Flatpak installations, instead use:

flatpak run com.google.AndroidStudio

This terminal output often reveals connection timeouts or SSL certificate issues that the graphical interface does not display.

Conclusion

You now have Android Studio installed on Linux Mint and ready for app development. The IDE includes everything needed to write code, design layouts, test on emulated devices, and debug issues. For version control integration, consider installing Git on Linux Mint. If you also develop for other platforms, VS Code complements Android Studio well for web and backend projects.