How to open android emulator in visual studio code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) does not include a native Android emulator. Therefore, to run an Android emulator from within VS Code, you need to rely on the Android SDK tools installed on your system. The emulator itself is managed externally and can be launched via command-line utilities or with the help of specific VS Code extensions that interface with these tools.

Steps to Launch an Android Emulator from Visual Studio Code:

• Ensure Android SDK and Emulator Are Installed

Confirm that the Android SDK, along with the emulator and platform tools, is installed. This is typically managed through Android Studio’s SDK Manager.

• Create and Configure Android Virtual Devices (AVDs)

Use Android Studio’s AVD Manager or the avdmanager command-line utility to create and configure virtual devices for testing.

• Open VS Code and Access the Integrated Terminal

In VS Code, go to View > Terminal to access the built-in terminal.

• List Available Emulators

Run the following command to view all available AVDs:

emulator -list-avds

• Start the Emulator:

Launch the emulator by executing:

emulator -avd <emulator_name>

Replace `<emulator_name>` with the exact name of the desired AVD.

• Deploy and Test Your Application:

With the emulator running, deploy your app using your framework’s commands (e.g., React Native CLI, Flutter, or native Android build tools).

• Use VS Code Extensions:(Optional)

Extensions such as Android iOS Emulator can provide a graphical interface to simplify launching and managing emulators directly within VS Code.

This method integrates Android emulator usage seamlessly into your VS Code workflow, enabling efficient testing of mobile applications without switching to another IDE.