Developing Android applications in Python: a complete guide from idea to publication

Creating mobile applications for Android traditionally associated with Java or Kotlin - languages ​​that are officially supported by Google via Android SDK. However, few people know that you can write a full-fledged application using specialized frameworks. This approach is especially relevant for developers who already know Pythonusing specialized frameworks. This approach is especially relevant for developers who already own Python and do not want to spend months learning a new syntax.

In this guide we will look at three main ways to develop Android applications in Python: using Kivy (for cross-platform applications), BeeWare (for the native interface) and Chaquopy (for integrating Python code into Android Studio). You'll learn how to set up a development environment, build an APK file, test it on an emulator, and even publish it to Google Play. We will also reveal the pitfalls that beginners encounter and give tips for optimizing performance.

Important: Although the Python approach makes it easy to get into mobile development, it has limitations. For example, Kivy applications may be inferior to native ones in terms of speed of working with graphics, and BeeWare does not yet support all functions of the Android API. However, for prototypes, educational projects, or applications with simple logic (for example, calculators, notes, API clients), Python remains an excellent choice.

Why Python for Android: pros and cons

Before diving into the technical details, let's take a look at when it's worth choose Python for development under Android, and when it is better to stay with classical tools.

✅ Advantages:

• 🐍 Simplicity of code. Python is known for its laconic syntax - what takes 10 lines in Java, often fits in 2-3 in Python.
• 🔄 Cross-platform. Frameworks like Kivy allow you to build applications not only for Android, but also for iOS, Windows, Linux from a single source.
• 📦 Rich ecosystem. Access to thousands of libraries PyPI (for example, requests for working with API or pandas for data analysis).
• 🎓 Low entry threshold. Ideal for beginners, students or analysts who want to quickly create an MVP (minimum viable product).

❌ Disadvantages:

• 🐢 Performance. Python code runs slower than native code (Java/Kotlin), which is critical for games or graphics-intensive applications.
• 📱 Limited API access. Not all Android functions (for example, deep integration with camera or sensors) are easily implemented through Python.
• 📦 APK size. Python applications often weigh more due to the need to package an interpreter.
• 🔧 Difficulties with debugging. Tools like Android Studio are not optimized for Python, so you have to use alternative IDEs.

⚠️ Attention: If your application requires high performance (for example, 3D games or real-time video processing), consider a hybrid approach: write logic in Python, and critical parts - in Java/Kotlin via Chaquopy or JNI.

Ways to develop Android applications in Python

There are three main approaches to creating Android applications in Python. Each of them is suitable for different tasks:

Next we will analyze each of these methods in detail, but first — which one should you choose?

• 🎨 Do you want a simple application with a custom design? → Kivy.
• 📱 Is a native interface and integration with Android important? → BeeWare.
• 🔧 You need to integrate Python logic into the existing one Java/Kotlin application? → Chaquopy.

Method 1: Development with Kivy - from installation to APK build

Kivy is the most popular framework for creating cross-platform applications in Python. It allows you to develop an interface using markup language KV (analogous to XML in Android) and Python logic. The main advantage is one code for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux.

Let's look at step-by-step guide for creating a simple application and assembling it for Android.

Step 1: Installing Kivy and dependencies

First install Kivy and tools for building:

pip install kivy buildozer

For Linux/macOS you will also need buildozer a utility for building APK. Install its dependencies:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git zip unzip openjdk-17 python3-pip autoconf libtool pkg-config zlib1g-dev libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev libtinfo5 cmake libffi-dev libssl-dev

Step 2: Creating the first application

Create a file main.py with the following code:

from kivy.app import App
from kivy.uix.button import Button

class MyApp(App):
def build(self):
return Button(text="Hello, Android!", size_hint=(0.5, 0.5), pos_hint={'center_x': 0.5, 'center_y': 0.5})

if __name__ == "__main__":
MyApp().run()

Run it on your PC with the command python main.py —you will see a window with a button. Now let's set up the build for Android.

Step 3: Setting up Buildozer to build APK

Create a file buildozer.spec (or generate it with the command buildozer init) and edit the key parameters:

[app]
title = My First Kivy App
package.name = myfirstkivyapp
package.domain = org.example
source.dir = .
source.include_exts = py,png,jpg,kv,atlas
version = 0.1
requirements = python3,kivy
orientation = portrait
fullscreen = 0

Then build:

buildozer -v android debug

The process may take 10-30 minutes (depending on the Internet speed and PC power). As a result, the file bin will appear in the folder myfirstkivyapp-0.1-debug.apk.

⚠️ Attention: During the first build, buildozer downloads the Android SDK and NDK, which can take up several gigabytes of disk space. Make sure you have enough space (≥20 GB recommended).

Install Python 3.7+|Install Kivy and Buildozer|Configure Java 17|Create buildozer.spec|Check internet connection (to download SDK)-->

Step 4: Testing on an emulator or device

The assembled APK can be installed:

• 📱 For a physical device: transfer the file via cable and open it (allow installation from unknown sources in the Android settings).
• 🖥️ On the emulator: use Android Studio or Genymotion. D Android Studio drag the APK to the emulator screen.

If the application does not start, check the logs through adb logcat:

adb logcat | grep python

Method 2: BeeWare - native interface in Python

BeeWare is a set of tools for creating native applications in Python. Unlike Kivy, it uses native Android interface elements (for example, Button or TextView from the Android SDK), which makes applications visually indistinguishable from those written in Java/Kotlin.

The main tool in the BeeWare ecosystem — Briefcase, which automates assembly and packaging. Let's look at the process of creating a simple application.

Step 1: Installing Briefcase

Install Briefcase and dependencies:

pip install briefcase

For Android you will also need Android Studio (to get the SDK and NDK). Make sure that the environment variables ANDROID_HOME and JAVA_HOME are configured correctly.

Step 2: Create a project

Initialize a new project:

briefcase new

Answer the wizard's questions (select Android as target platform). As a result, a project structure will be created with the file src/{your_application}/app.py.

Open app.py and replace the contents with:

import toga
from toga.style import Pack
from toga.style.pack import COLUMN, ROW

def button_handler(widget):
print("Hello, Android!")

def build(app):
box = toga.Box(style=Pack(direction=COLUMN))

button = toga.Button(
"Click me!",
on_press=button_handler,
style=Pack(padding=5)
)
box.add(button)

return box

def main():
return toga.App("First BeeWare App", "org.example.firstbeeware", startup=build)

Step 3: Build and run

Build the project for Android:

briefcase create android
briefcase build android
briefcase run android

The last command will automatically install the application on the connected device or emulator. If errors occur, check:

• 🔧 Correct paths to Android SDK to ~/.briefcase/config.toml.
• 📋 Availability of Android SDK licenses (sometimes you need to accept them through sdkmanager --licenses).

⚠️ Attention: BeeWare does not yet support all Android widgets. For example, RecyclerView or ViewPager will have to be implemented manually or through custom solutions.

[tool.briefcase.app.{app_name}]
icon = "resources/android/icon"

Method 3: Chaquopy - Python integration in Android Studio

Chaquopy is a plugin for Android Studiothat allows you to run Python code inside Java/Kotlin applications. This method is ideal if:

• 🔄 You already have a project in Java/Kotlin, and you want to add Python logic to it.
• 📊 You need high performance (Python code runs in the same process as Java).
• 📦 You use Python libraries (for example, numpy or tensorflow) in the mobile application.

The main disadvantage is paid license for commercial projects (free only for open source software and non-commercial use).

Step 1: Installing Chaquopy on Android Studio

Add the plugin to your project file: build.gradle your project:

buildscript {
repositories {
google()
mavenCentral()
gradlePluginPortal()
}
dependencies {
classpath 'com.chaquo.python:android:12.0.1'
}
}

Then apply the plugin to app/build.gradle:

apply plugin: 'com.chaquo.python.android'

android {
defaultConfig {
python {
version "3.8"
}
}
}

Step 2: Add Python code

Create a folder src/main/python in your project and add a file there, for example script.py:

def calculate_sum(a, b):
return a + b

Now call this code from Java:

import com.chaquo.python.Python;
import com.chaquo.python.android.AndroidPlatform;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

if (!Python.isStarted()) {
Python.start(new AndroidPlatform(this));
}

Python py = Python.getInstance();
PyObject pyObject = py.getModule("script").callAttr("calculate_sum", 5, 7);
int result = pyObject.toJava(int.class);
Log.d("Chaquopy", "Result: " + result); // Outputs 12
}
}

Step 3: Build and Test

Build the project as usual via Android Studio. Chaquopy will automatically package the Python interpreter and your scripts into an APK. Please note:

• 📦 APK size will increase by ~10-15 MB due to built-in Python.
• 🐍 To speed things up, use @PyMethod and @PyInterface to optimize calls between Java and Python.

Optimization and publication of the application

Even if your application runs on an emulator, before publishing it in Google Play it needs to be optimized. Here are the key steps:

1. Reducing APK size

Python APK files often weigh more than 20 MB. To reduce the size:

• 🗜️ For Kivy: use --release instead of --debug and enable compression:

  buildozer android release --nocompress

• 🧹 For Chaquopy: exclude unnecessary Python libraries in build.gradle:

  python {
  exclude "numpy", "pandas" // if not used
  }

2. Improved performance

Python code can be speeded up by:

• ⚡ Cython: Compiling Python to C to speed up critical parts.
• 🔄 Caching: Avoid repeated calculations (for example, cache the results of API requests).
• 📱 Offloading: move heavy tasks to background threads using Thread or AsyncTask.

3. Preparing for publication on Google Play

Before uploading the APK to Google Play Console:

1. 🔐 Sign the application using keytool i jarsigner.
2. 📝 Fill in versionCode i versionName v buildozer.spec or build.gradle.
3. 🖼️ Prepare screenshots, an icon (512×512 px) and promotional graphics.
4. 📄 Write a description in 2-3 languages (use Google Translate API for automatic translation).

⚠️ Attention: Google Play requires target API level 31+ (Android 12) apps to support Android App Bundle (AAB) instead of APKs. For Kivy, this can be configured in buildozer.spec:

android.ndk_api = 21
android.minapi = 21
android.targetapi = 31

Common errors and their solutions

Development in Python for Android is often accompanied by specific errors. Here are the most common ones and how to fix them:

If your error is not in the table, try:

1. 🔍 Search for a solution on Stack Overflow with tags [kivy] or [beeware].
2. 📝 Check the logs via adb logcat (for Android) or buildozer android logcat (for Kivy).
3. 🐛 Create a minimal reproducible example and ask a question in Kivy repositories or BeeWare.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions