When I was getting started with Android development, one of the questions I had in my mind was where to get started. I observed that materials to study web development are everywhere but for mobile, the materials were either outdated or way above my league (the concepts in the content were not beginner-friendly). However, with time, a lot of searches, and engagement with the developer community, I was able to find a few materials that have helped and continue to help me in my mobile development journey starting with Android.
I am writing this article to help someone who is a complete beginner and looking for resources to start their journey in Android development. This is the article I wish I had when I was getting started and I hope it helps someone out there.
Getting started
Pre-requisites
- To get started with Android development, you'll need a functioning computer system of at least 4GB of Ram so you can be able to run Android Studio, the Integrated development environment for developing Android apps.
Resources to get started
I'd like to mention that there's no resource out there, that would take you from the beginning of your journey to an advanced level. Android ecosystem changes really fast and a lot of things get deprecated in this zone quickly. One can only gain experience in this terrain by experimenting and building apps.
First off, the official Android documentation is the go-to for Android developers. However, it's not perfect. That is the reason I've created this list of resources to help one pull through.
Scholarships
Google collaborated with Pluralsight and Andela to provide learning opportunities for developers resident in Africa. If you reside in Africa, you can follow Andela on Twitter to be notified when opportunities call.
If you reside in the United States, Google has also partnered with Udacity to provide good learning opportunities for free.
To get started with Java and Kotlin programming languages, check out these course series launched by Jetbrains Academy and Hyperskills which offers both theorems, quiz and hands-on practice projects.
Books
Head first Kotlin - This book will help you understand Kotlin programming language for Android development.
Android Apprentice - Android Apprentice is the book for complete beginners to Android development.
Kotlin for Android Developers - Kotlin for Android Developers.
Video Courses
Udacity courses
Google collaborated with Udacity to provide useful courses for free:
Youtube Channels
Coding in flow: This youtube channel is really popular in the Android community because of its clear explanations and consistency in keeping up to date with the trends and best practices of Android development.
Coding with Mitch: This channel has great content for Android development. It offers clear explanations of concepts and is up to date.
Rahul Pandey: This also is another awesome channel for anyone looking to level up in their Android coding skills.
Philipp Lackner: This youtube channel seeks to help put the pieces of coding concepts and Android APIs together by building finished apps.
Simplified Coding: This channel is run by a Google Developer Expert for Android and is consistent with teaching the Google recommended patterns of building Android apps.
- Stevdza-San: This channel has good content for Android UI/UX and Flutter too.
- TVAC Studio: This channel seeks to help you level up your user interface implementation skills as a lot of Android developers struggle with it.
- Aws Rh: This channel also has a lot to offer in terms of user interface implementation in Android.
Communities
- Stack Overflow - This is the most popular QA website for developers. Every developer I know, has a room here, just sign up and start enjoying the goodness this community has to offer.
- r/android_devs/ - One of my most favorite communities. A place where all Android developers can speak openly and respectfully about the problems they encounter when developing and publishing applications. They give valuable tips, open constructive architectural discussions, discuss the present and future of programming in Android, and seek help when specialized sites do not provide solutions.
- r/androiddev/ - Here, you'll find: - News for Android developers, thoughtful, informative articles, insightful talks, presentations, useful libraries, handy tools, and open-source applications for studying.
- Android Dev Discord - Android Dev Discord.
- Kotlin Community - Kotlin Slack Community.
Newsletters and updates
- Awesome Android Newsletter - A weekly overview of the most popular Android news, articles, and packages.
- Android Weekly - Android Weekly is a free newsletter that helps you to stay on the cutting-edge with Android Development.
- Developer Newsletters - The latest developer news and tips to help you succeed with Google Play, Android, and games.
- onCreate Digest - onCreate Digest is a weekly newsletter with links to Android Development related content.
Furthermore, you can check out this Github repository created by AndroidDevnotes to find more resources.
Another list of Android learning resources worth mentioning is this one created by CodePath
These resources I listed barely scratch the surface of the vast resources for Android development out there. In this list, I tried to focus on free resources and the ones I have tried personally and found useful.
I hope this article helps someone to get started with Android development. If you found it useful, give it a thumbs-up, and share it with your friends and community. Also, watch this space for more content such as this.
You can follow me on Twitter for Android content, dry programmers jokes, rants, and bants.