[HN Gopher] Android CLI: Build Android apps 3x faster using any ...
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Android CLI: Build Android apps 3x faster using any agent
Author : ingve
Score : 71 points
Date : 2026-04-16 18:39 UTC (4 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (android-developers.googleblog.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (android-developers.googleblog.com)
| user2722 wrote:
| Agents will allow human programmers to get what they've been
| begging for decades now: proper requirements and flexible,
| logical, tooling.
| bayarearefugee wrote:
| > Agents will allow human programmers to get what they've been
| begging for decades now: proper requirements and flexible,
| logical, tooling.
|
| ...and once this goal is finally reached the programmer will
| breathe a sigh of relief and then promptly be fired since now
| the machine can do the job as well as they could.
| risyachka wrote:
| The tooling in 2026 is so easy you can do almost anything
| without AI very very quickly.
| rtpg wrote:
| this has been my sort of big tent alignment with AI people. If
| I'm getting good CLI tooling that _actually works_ (or fixes to
| existing ones that have been busted forever) then I'm pretty
| happy.
|
| Things that make systems more understandable to the LLMs ...
| usually make things more understandable for humans as well.
| Usually.
|
| The biggest issue I've found is that vibed up tooling tends to
| be pretty bad at having the right kind of "sense" for what
| makes good CLI UX. So you still have awkward argument
| structures or naming. Better than nothing though
| Evidlo wrote:
| Now please let us install the apps just as easily
| stronglikedan wrote:
| downloading an APK and opening it is already about as easy as
| it gets. the only thing easier would be for someone else to do
| it for you
| throwaway81523 wrote:
| You're forgetting the installation ("sideloading", what
| everyone else calls installation) restrictions they are about
| to deploy. It will be a significant hassle to install
| anything without Google's approval. Many F-droid apps are
| showing warning notices about this upcoming change.
| sunaookami wrote:
| >Google collects usage data for the Android CLI, such as
| commands, sub-commands, and flags used. This data does not
| include custom parameters or identifiable information. This
| information helps improve the tool and is collected in accordance
| with Google's Privacy Policy.
|
| >https://policies.google.com/privacy
|
| >Disable Android CLI metrics collection by using the --no-metrics
| flag.
|
| No thanks, is there no env variable for this? Doesn't Google have
| enough data already?
| gowld wrote:
| Android CLI can write a tool that wraps android-cli and
| automatically passes the flag based on an env variable.
|
| How would Google have enough data about a brand new product
| without collecting that data?
| OutOfHere wrote:
| But can I publish an app without having to share my ID? I want an
| ecosystem that doesn't require it.
| Flavius wrote:
| Absolutely not. That would be crazy.
| iririririr wrote:
| > Your agents perform best when they have a lightweight,
| programmatic interface to interact with the Android SDK and
| development environment.
|
| F you google. Me too. Why didn't we get a sane way to build
| android apps before you had to please chatbots?
| bitpush wrote:
| Damned if you do. Damned if you dont.
| antirez wrote:
| Let's see if even mid/big companies with tons of resources, with
| AI and the right tooling will continue to write webview-apps or,
| even worse, use some kind of multi target wrapper.
| whstl wrote:
| I wish the same thing existed for Apple.
|
| Everything I do for macOS/iOS is already without Xcode but it's a
| pain in the ass to keep up with changes, and there are things I
| haven't figured out yet (like AUv3).
| agentifysh wrote:
| Flutter CLI is what we really need but this is a welcome
| addition.
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(page generated 2026-04-16 23:00 UTC)