Build Android APK and AAB files from a simple YAML configuration—without Android Studio.

andro

That's it! This will read andro.yml and generate:

• app-debug.apk - Debug APK
• app-release.apk - Release APK
• app-release.aab - Android App Bundle (for Google Play)

Create an andro.yml file in the project root:

- title: "Hello World"
- version: "1"
- package: "com.example.helloworld"
- icon: "round.png"
- web: "html"
- ads: "202843390"

Set ads: "" to completely disable ads. The build system will:

• Exclude Start.io SDK from the build
• Remove ad-related code from the app
• Produce a smaller, cleaner APK

• Full JavaScript support (ES6+)
• localStorage & sessionStorage
• Geolocation API
• Camera access
• File upload/download
• Hardware acceleration

Access native Android features from your web code:

// Get device info
const device = Android.getDeviceInfo();
console.log(device); // {"brand":"Samsung","model":"Galaxy S21",...}

// Get battery status
const battery = Android.getBatteryInfo();
console.log(battery); // {"level":85,"charging":true}

// Show toast notification
Android.showToast("Hello from JavaScript!");

// Vibrate device
Android.vibrate(1000); // Vibrate for 1 second

• Camera
• Location (GPS)
• Storage (Read/Write)
• Microphone
• Bluetooth
• Battery stats

• Automatic SDK initialization
• Interstitial ads on back press
• Configurable via ads field in andro.yml
• See ai/ads.txt for full documentation

• Automatic keystore generation
• Secure key storage
• Ready for Google Play upload

• Java JDK 11 or higher
  • Download: https://adoptium.net/
  • Verify: java -version

• Android SDK (if not using system Gradle)
• Gradle 8.0+ (included via wrapper)
• ANDROID_HOME environment variable

1. Install JDK 11 or higher from https://adoptium.net/
2. Add Java to your PATH:

   # Windows (PowerShell as Administrator)
   setx JAVA_HOME "C:\Program Files\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-17.0.0"
   setx PATH "%PATH%;%JAVA_HOME%\bin"

andro
# or explicitly:
andro build

andro clean

andro help

After running andro, your project will look like:

D:\Andro\
├── andro.yml              # Your configuration
├── andro.bat              # Build script
├── keystore.jks           # Signing key (auto-generated)
├── round.png              # Your app icon
├── html/                  # Your web assets
│   ├── index.html
│   └── about.html
├── app/                   # Generated Android project
│   ├── build.gradle
│   ├── src/main/
│   │   ├── AndroidManifest.xml
│   │   ├── java/.../MainActivity.java
│   │   ├── res/
│   │   └── assets/        # Copied from html/
│   └── build/outputs/     # Build outputs
│       ├── apk/
│       └── bundle/
└── gradle/                # Gradle wrapper

The tool handles absolute paths automatically. Use:

<a href="/about.html">About</a>

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

// Check if running in Android WebView
if (typeof Android !== 'undefined') {
    // Native features available
    const device = JSON.parse(Android.getDeviceInfo());
    console.log('Running on:', device.model);
}

# Check Java installation
java -version

# If not found, install JDK and add to PATH

# Windows (PowerShell)
$env:ANDROID_HOME="D:\Android\Sdk"

# Add to system environment variables for permanent fix

# Clean and rebuild
andro clean
andro build

# Or with verbose output
gradlew.bat assembleRelease --info

1. Verify App ID in andro.yml matches Start.io dashboard
2. Check internet connection
3. Ensure ai/ads.txt integration steps are followed
4. Test on real device (emulator may have limited ad inventory)

The keystore is auto-generated with these details:

⚠️ Important: Backup keystore.jks securely. You'll need it for all future app updates.

Edit app/build.gradle for advanced options:

android {
    // Add custom build types
    buildTypes {
        staging {
            minifyEnabled true
            debuggable true
        }
    }
    
    // Add flavor dimensions
    flavorDimensions "version"
    productFlavors {
        free {
            dimension "version"
        }
        paid {
            dimension "version"
        }
    }
}

Edit app/proguard-rules.pro to keep specific classes:

# Keep your JavaScript interface
-keepclassmembers class * {
    @android.webkit.JavascriptInterface <methods>;
}

This tool is provided as-is for building Android applications from web assets.

For issues with:

• Start.io Ads: See ai/ads.txt or contact Start.io support
• Build errors: Check Java/Android SDK installation
• WebView features: Ensure all permissions are granted

Built with ❤️ for rapid Android app development