Install Android Studio on Ubuntu 18.04 with Snap and OpenJDK 8

Android Studio is the official IDE for Android development, built on JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA platform. It includes everything you need to build, test, and debug Android applications in one place: a rich code editor, a visual layout designer, a built-in emulator, and a powerful debugger.

The build system runs on Gradle, which lets you define multiple build variants from a single project. This is useful when you need separate debug and release builds, or different configurations for different device types.

This guide shows you how to install Android Studio on Ubuntu 18.04 using Snap. The same steps work on Ubuntu 16.04, Kubuntu, Linux Mint, and Elementary OS.

Prerequisite: You need sudo access.

Install Android Studio on Ubuntu: Install OpenJDK 8 and the Snap Package

Install Java. Android Studio requires OpenJDK 8 or above. Install it with:

bashsudo apt updatesudo apt install openjdk-8-jdk

Verify the installation:

bashjava -version

You should see output showing openjdk version "1.8.0_191" or similar. If you have multiple Java versions installed, make sure Java 8 is the active version before proceeding.

Install Android Studio via Snap. The Snap package is the simplest method. It handles dependencies, updates, and sandboxing automatically:

bashsudo snap install android-studio --classic

The --classic flag is required because Android Studio needs full system access for the SDK tools and build system. When complete, you will see:

android-studio 3.3.1.0 from Snapcrafters installed

Launch Android Studio and Complete the Setup Wizard

Start Android Studio from your terminal by typing android-studio, or open it from the Activities menu.

The first time it launches, Android Studio asks whether to import settings from a previous installation. On a fresh install, select Do not import settings and click OK.

The Setup Wizard opens automatically. Click Next to begin. You will be asked to choose a setup type. Select Standard — this installs the most commonly used components and SDK versions without extra configuration on your part.

On the following screen, choose a UI theme (light or dark) and click Next. The wizard then downloads and installs the required Android SDK components. The process may take a few minutes depending on your connection speed.

Once the SDK download finishes, click Finish. Android Studio opens the Welcome screen, where you can create a new project, open an existing one, or clone from a version control repository.

Start Building Android Apps with Android Studio

When you create a new project, Android Studio walks you through choosing a template and minimum API level. It then generates the full project structure, including Gradle build files, manifest, and starter source code. You can run your app immediately on a connected Android device or on the built-in Android Emulator.

The emulator lets you test different Android versions and screen sizes without physical hardware. You can also use the Layout Inspector to debug your UI in real time and the Profiler to monitor CPU, memory, and network usage while the app is running.

Visit the Android Studio documentation to explore the full set of tools available in the IDE.

Android Studio is now installed on your Ubuntu 18.04 system. Create a new project and start building your first Android app. Leave a comment below if you run into any issues.