How to Develop a Simple Android App: A Step-by-Step Guide for

Beginners

1. Introduction

Have you ever wanted to create your own mobile app but didn’t know
where to start? Android is a great platform for beginners. Whether you're
a student, hobbyist, or aspiring developer, building a simple Android app
is a solid way to begin your mobile development journey.

This guide walks you through the creation of a "To-Do List" app using
Android Studio, Google's official IDE for Android development.

2. Tools & Prerequisites

Before writing any code, let's get our environment ready.

What You Need:

 A computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux)

 Android Studio (Download from: developer.android.com/studio)

 Basic Java or Kotlin knowledge (we’ll use Kotlin in this guide)

 An Android device or emulator

Installing Android Studio:

1. Download from the official site.

2. Follow the installer instructions.

3. Launch Android Studio and install required SDKs and system

3. Creating a New Project

Once Android Studio is set up:

1. Click "New Project".

2. Choose the Empty Activity template.

3. Name the project: ToDoListApp

4. Language: Kotlin

5. Minimum SDK: API 21 (Android 5.0 Lollipop)

4. Understanding the Project Structure

Here's a quick overview of the generated folders:

 MainActivity.kt: Your main screen logic.

 activity_main.xml: UI layout of the main screen.

 AndroidManifest.xml: App permissions, declarations.

 res/: Resources (images, strings, layouts)

 build.gradle: App dependencies and SDK versions.

Familiarize yourself with this layout—it’ll make debugging and building

5. Designing the User Interface

Open res/layout/activity_main.xml and replace the existing code with:

xml

CopyEdit

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"

android:layout_width="match_parent"

android:layout_height="match_parent"

android:orientation="vertical"

android:padding="16dp">

<EditText

android:id="@+id/editTextTask"

android:layout_width="match_parent"

android:layout_height="wrap_content"

android:hint="Enter task" />

android:id="@+id/buttonAdd"

android:layout_width="match_parent"

android:layout_height="wrap_content"

android:text="Add Task" />

<ListView

android:id="@+id/listViewTasks"

android:layout_width="match_parent"

android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

</LinearLayout>

This layout includes:

 An EditText to input tasks

 A Button to add tasks

 A ListView to display them

6. Writing the Kotlin Code

Open MainActivity.kt and modify it:

kotlin

CopyEdit

package com.example.todolistapp

import android.os.Bundle

import android.widget.*

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {

private lateinit var addButton: Button

private lateinit var taskListView: ListView

private val taskList = ArrayList<String>()

private lateinit var adapter: ArrayAdapter<String>

override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {

super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

taskInput = findViewById(R.id.editTextTask)

addButton = findViewById(R.id.buttonAdd)

taskListView = findViewById(R.id.listViewTasks)

adapter = ArrayAdapter(this, android.R.layout.simple_list_item_1,

taskListView.adapter = adapter

addButton.setOnClickListener {

val task = taskInput.text.toString()

if (task.isNotEmpty()) {

taskList.add(task)

adapter.notifyDataSetChanged()

taskInput.text.clear()

} else {

Toast.makeText(this, "Please enter a task",

}
 taskListView.setOnItemClickListener { _, _, position, _ ->

taskList.removeAt(position)

adapter.notifyDataSetChanged()

Key Features:

 Adds tasks to the list

 Removes a task when clicked

 Uses a basic adapter pattern

7. Running Your App

You can run the app on:

 A real Android phone (enable USB debugging in Developer

 Android Emulator (created via Android Studio's AVD Manager)

Click the green Run button ▶️, and choose your device. You should see
your simple To-Do list app up and running!

8. Enhancing the App (Optional)

Once you’ve got the basics working, consider:

 Adding persistence with SharedPreferences or SQLite

 Using RecyclerView instead of ListView for better performance

 Implementing a dark mode toggle

 Adding checkboxes for task completion

Each of these features can be added with minimal effort but significantly
improves user experience.

9. Debugging Tips

 Use Logcat for runtime logs and crash messages.

 Use breakpoints and step-by-step debugging.

Remember, errors are part of the process. Don’t be afraid to Google stack
traces or ask for help.

10. Conclusion

Congratulations! You've built your first Android app.

This simple To-Do List application taught you:

 Project setup in Android Studio

 Building a UI with XML

 Connecting UI to Kotlin code

 Handling user input

 Basic list management

From here, the sky's the limit. The next steps could include integrating
Firebase, adding user authentication, or publishing your app on the Play
Store.

The key is to keep building. Each app you create adds to your
confidence, portfolio, and problem-solving skills.