Top picks for the best Android Studio plugins to reduce time spent on tasks and make workflows simpler.
Hey there fellow developers!
Android Studio has become the ultimate IDE for Android development over the years. With its comprehensive and powerful features, it makes developing an Android app easier than ever. However, with the abundance of features and plugins available, it can be difficult to find the ones that best suit your workflow. After trying out various plugins, I have narrowed down my favorites.
Without further ado, let’s start 🚀
1. GitHub Copilot (paid) 🧑🚀
The first choice is a no-brainer. GitHub's AI-powered tool provides instant, in-line suggestions and code completions based on the context and codebase of the project. It also generates boilerplate code, complex statements, or finds the right method to call for you simply by adding a comment describing its functionality or by learning from the context.
Installing it is a breeze, the tips are super helpful and save you time (most of the time), and it's compatible with Kotlin, Java, and XMLs.
2. Key Promoter X ⌨️
Using keyboard shortcuts can make a big difference in terms of speed and efficiency. The things is, there are just so many shortcuts to remember! That's where Key Promoter X comes in. This plugin takes a gentle approach to helping you learn the shortcuts by popping up a hint with the corresponding keyboard command every time you perform an action with your mouse. It's a subtle reminder that gradually helps you adopt more and more shortcuts over time.
A big advantage is how customizable Key Promoter X is. You can choose which actions you want to see hints for, and how often they appear. And if you're already a shortcut master, you can turn off the hints completely.
3. Rainbow Brackets 🌈
Rainbow Brackets is a simple yet effective plugin for code editors that helps you visually distinguish brackets and parentheses in your code. If you work with complex code structures, you know how important it is to be able to quickly find the matching bracket or parenthesis for a given one. With Rainbow Brackets, you never have to worry about losing track of your brackets again.
This plugin colors each bracket and parenthesis in your code a different color, making it easy to see which brackets match up. This can be especially helpful in code with many nested structures, where it can be difficult to keep track of all the brackets.
4. ADB Idea 🚠
Android Studio gets a major upgrade with this plugin! No more typing out long commands in the command line - this plugin gives you quick access to all the ADB commands right from the IDE. Plus, the user interface gets a facelift with features like being able to check out device logs directly from the IDE and a device explorer for easy navigating the device's file system.
The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a command-line tool that allows developers to communicate with their Android devices and control them from their computer. It is a part of the Android Software Development Kit (SDK) and is widely used for debugging and testing Android apps.
5. Android WiFi ADB 📡
ADB Wi-Fi is a plugin for Android Studio that enables you to use the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) over Wi-Fi, instead of a USB connection. If you're an Android developer, you know how frustrating it can be to have to constantly switch between your development machine and your Android device when testing your app.
With this plugin, I don't have to change cables or type in IP addresses - this saves me a lot of time. Also, I can test something on many devices without having to set up a connection each time.
6. CodeGlance Pro 🗺️
As a developer, you understand the value of having an overview of your code when dealing with large and complex projects. CodeGlance Pro is a plugin for Android Studio that makes it effortless to obtain an overview of your code.
It adds a handy code minimap to your IDE (just like the one in Xcode), which updates in real-time as you write code so you always have an up-to-date view of your project. With CodeGlance Pro, you can quickly navigate to the section you need to work on, making it easier and faster to get the job done.
7. Extra ToolWindow Colorful Icons 🎨
Extra ToolWindow Colorful Icons is a plugin for Android Studio that adds color to the tool window icons in your IDE. As a developer, you spend a lot of time in your IDE, so it's important to have an environment that is both functional and visually appealing. Extra ToolWindow Colorful Icons makes Android Studio look more vibrant and lively, while still retaining its professional look.
8. Nyan Progress Bar 🌈
With Nyan Progress Bar, the standard boring progress bar is replaced with a colorful animation of a flying Nyan Cat, complete with rainbow tail and pop-tart body. It's a small change, but it adds a touch of fun and personality to your IDE.
Wrap up
These are just a few of my favorite plugins for Android Studio that have helped me boost my productivity and streamline my workflow. From code minimaps and color-coded brackets, to fun progress bars and helpful shortcuts, these plugins have become essential tools in my daily workflow.
If you're an Android Studio user, what are some of your favorite plugins that you use to boost your productivity? I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations!
Happy coding,
Yarin