> For the complete CircleCI developer hub index, see [llms.txt](https://circleci.com/developer/llms.txt)

# cimg/android

An Android Docker image built to run on CircleCI that contains API levels, build & platform tools, and the NDK variant images.

***This image is designed to supercede the legacy CircleCI Android image, `circleci/android`.***

`cimg/android` is a Docker image created by CircleCI with continuous integration builds in mind.
Each tag contains an Android environment and toolchain.
Including several API SDKs, command line tools, build tools, Ant, Gradle, Google Cloud SDK, and more.


## Getting Started

This image can be used with the CircleCI `docker` executor.
For example:

```yaml
jobs:
  build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/android:2026.07
    steps:
      - checkout
      - run: ./gradlew androidDependencies
      - run: ./gradlew lint test
```

In the above example, the CircleCI Android Docker image is used for the primary container.
More specifically, the tag `2026.07` is used meaning the August 2021 snapshot of the image is used.
You can now build and test Android projects within the steps for this job.

Additionally, you can use the [Android Orb](https://circleci.com/developer/orbs/orb/circleci/android) to access the Docker executor and configure your image in a standardized way.

While it is possible to use this image for emulation, it's highly recommended to use the [machine image](https://circleci.com/developer/machine/image/android) instead.

## How This Image Works

This image contains the Android SDK and CLI tools and includes, but is not limited to:

- sdkmanager
- Android platform (29 -> 35)
- Git
- Docker and Docker Compose
- `build-essentials` package
- jq
- curl, ssh, and much more

### Tagging Scheme

This image has the following tagging scheme:

```
cimg/android:<tag>[-variant]
```

`<tag>` - The snapshot of the image to use.
The available tags and a list of software pre-installed can be found in the [Developer Hub](https://circleci.com/developer/images/image/cimg/android).

`[-variant]` - a variant tag can optionally be added.
The available variants can be found [above](#variants).


## Image Tags


### Variants

Variant images typically contain the same base software, but with a few additional modifications.

#### NDK - Native Development Kit

The NDK variant is the same Android image but with the Android NDK installed.
Specifically a stable and LTS version.
The NDK variant can be used by appending `-ndk` to the end of an existing `cimg/android` tag.

```yaml
jobs:
  build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/android:2026.07-ndk
    steps:
      - checkout
```


#### Node.js

The Node.js variant is the same Android image but with Node.js also installed.
The Node.js variant will be used by appending `-node` to the end of an existing `cimg/android` tag.

```yaml
jobs:
  build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/android:2021.08.1-node
    steps:
      - checkout
      - run: node --version
```

#### Browsers

The browsers variant is the same Android image but with Node.js, Java, Selenium, and browser dependencies pre-installed via apt.
The browsers variant can be used by appending `-browser` to the end of an existing `cimg/android` tag.
The browsers variant is designed to work in conjunction with the [CircleCI Browser Tools orb](https://circleci.com/developer/orbs/orb/circleci/browser-tools).
You can use the orb to install a version of Google Chrome and/or Firefox into your build.
The image contains all of the supporting tools needed to use both the browser and its driver.

```yaml
orbs:
  browser-tools: circleci/browser-tools@1.1
jobs:
  build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/android:2021.08.1-browsers
    steps:
      - browser-tools/install-browser-tools
      - checkout
      - run: |
          node --version
          java --version
          google-chrome --version
```