How to Make an
Android App
Describe the app you want. Fastshot builds it, you run it on your Android phone, then you download the APK or publish on Google Play. You don't need Android Studio, Kotlin or any code.
What is the easiest way to make an Android app?
Describe it to an AI app builder. In Fastshot (fastshot.ai) you type what the app does, approve a short plan and get a working version in about 5 to 7 minutes. Scan a QR code to run it on your Android phone, change it by chat, then build an APK. To list it on Google Play you also need a Google Play developer account, which costs $25 once.
Last updated: November 4, 2026
Two Ways to Make an Android App
The code route. Install Android Studio, learn Kotlin and build screens with Jetpack Compose, Android's recommended toolkit for native UI. Gradle packs the project into an APK. You also create the signing key, choose the target API level and upload the file to Google Play yourself.
The builder route. Describe the app in plain words and let Fastshot write it. You get one React Native app built with Expo that runs on Android and iPhone, or a native Kotlin app with Jetpack Compose when your prompt says Android only. Read more on the Kotlin Android app builder page.
Both routes end with the same two files: an APK you install on a phone and an AAB that Google Play takes. The seven steps below use the builder route.
Android Studio or Fastshot: Which Way Gets You an App Sooner?
Same Android app, two ways to get there. Rows cover what you do at each stage of making and shipping it.
| Stage | Android Studio (code) | Fastshot (builder) |
|---|---|---|
| What you write | Kotlin or Java, plus Gradle build files | Plain-language prompts. Fastshot writes the code |
| What you install | Android Studio, the Android SDK and an emulator or a test phone | Nothing. The editor runs in your browser |
| Screens | Jetpack Compose functions you write by hand | Described in the prompt, changed by chat |
| Run it on your phone | Turn on Developer options and USB debugging, or pair over Wi-Fi on Android 11 and higher | Scan the QR code in the preview with Expo Go, or install the APK |
| Signing key | You create a keystore and keep it safe | Made on your first build and reused for every project |
| Target API level | You raise it in Gradle yourself | Builds already target Android 16 (API level 36) |
| Google Play file | You build the AAB with Gradle | Download AAB on the finished build card |
| First upload to Google Play | By hand in Play Console | By hand too, because Google requires it. Later builds go to the track you pick |
How Do You Make an Android App in 7 Steps?
Write a prompt that names Android
Say what the app does, who uses it and which screens it has. Name Android in the first sentence. Example: 'An Android app for dog walkers with a schedule screen, a client list and a button that marks each walk done.' An Android-only prompt makes a native Kotlin app. A prompt that also names iPhone makes one React Native app for both.
Answer one or two questions
Fastshot may ask which phones the app is for or how its data should be stored. Answer, then read the plan: screens, navigation, colors and fonts. Approve it and the first version is ready in about 5 to 7 minutes.
Run it on your Android phone
In a React Native app, install Expo Go from Google Play, open the QR code tab beside the preview and scan it from Expo Go. Keep the phone and the computer on the same network. A native Kotlin app runs on a live Android emulator in the editor, with Back, Home and Recent apps buttons you can tap.
Change it by chat
Send follow-ups such as 'add a settings screen with a logout button' or 'round the corners of the walk cards'. Each one edits the code in place and the preview updates. When the screens work, add a backend to your app for sign-in and saved data.
Set the app name and package name
Open Publish, choose the Android tab and check App Configuration. The package name is the permanent ID of your app, in the form com.yourname.dogwalks. Google Play keeps it for good, so decide before your first upload. Click Save Config.
Build the APK
Ask the agent to 'build an APK' or click Queue Build on the Android tab. The build card says it usually takes about 7 minutes. On a computer, scan the card's QR code with your phone to open the install page. On the phone, tap Download APK and allow installs from your browser if Android asks.
Publish on Google Play
Download the AAB from the finished build. Create the app in Play Console and upload that first AAB by hand. Then connect Google Play in Fastshot so later builds go to the Internal, Closed, Open or Production track. Every click is in how to publish an app to Google Play.
The 4 Main Components of an Android App
Android's own documentation lists four component types. You never write them by hand in Fastshot. You ask for the feature and Fastshot builds the pieces.
Activities: the screens
An activity is one screen with a user interface. An email app has one for the inbox, one for writing and one for reading. In Fastshot you list the screens and the navigation between them in your prompt.
Services: work with no screen
A service keeps work going in the background, such as syncing data or playing music while another app is open. Ask for push notifications or a daily reminder and Fastshot sets up the background part.
Broadcast receivers: system events
A broadcast receiver reacts to announcements from the system, like a low battery, or to an alarm you scheduled. In a native Android project you can ask for reminders and home screen widgets, and Fastshot builds the receivers behind them.
Content providers: shared data
A content provider manages a set of app data that other apps can read. Your own data lives in a Supabase database or in local storage on the phone. Say which one you want and the AI moves the app onto it.
Android Publishing Terms, Explained
These are the words you meet between a working app and a live Google Play listing.
| Term | What it is | What you do in Fastshot |
|---|---|---|
| APK | The file that installs on an Android phone | Tap Download APK on the build card, or scan its QR code |
| AAB | Android App Bundle, the file Google Play takes | Tap Download AAB on the same card |
| Package name | The permanent app ID, like com.yourname.app | Save it under App Configuration before the first build |
| Keystore | The signing key that proves an update comes from you | Fastshot makes one on your first build, or you upload your own .jks |
| Version code | A number that must rise with every update | Each build gets a higher one on its own |
| Target API level | The Android version the app is built for. Since August 31, 2026 new apps must target Android 16 (API level 36) | Builds already target API level 36 |
| Closed test | New personal Google Play accounts need 12 testers for 14 days before production | Send builds to the Closed testing track |
Do You Need an LLC, and How Do Android Apps Earn?
No LLC is needed. A personal Google Play account lets one person publish. Apps for finance, health, VPN or government must come from an organization account. The Google Play developer account page compares the two.
Ways to earn. Subscriptions, ads and paid features are the usual three. Fastshot adds subscriptions and paywalls with Adapty (RevenueCat is an option) and ads with AdMob. See how to monetize an app.
Pick an idea small enough to ship this week: a tracker, a booking form, a directory. The MVP app builder page shows how to cut an idea down to its first version.
Apps Built With a Text Prompt
Two small apps from the Fastshot gallery. Each started as a short description.
Consista
A minimal habit tracker with a calendar view and streaks, the kind of first app that ships in an afternoon. See Consista in the gallery.
Fittrack
A fitness log for daily activities and calories with weekly summaries. See Fittrack in the gallery.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest way to make an Android app?
Describe it to an AI app builder instead of learning Kotlin first. In Fastshot you type the idea, approve a plan and see a running app in about 5 to 7 minutes. You test it on your phone and ask for changes in chat.
Do I need an LLC to start an app?
No. A personal Google Play developer account lets one person publish. Finance, health, VPN and government apps are the exception: they need an organization account, which asks for a D-U-N-S number.
Can ChatGPT create an Android app?
It can draft Kotlin code, but it cannot build, sign or upload the app. You would still need Android Studio and a signing key. Fastshot does the build as well, so you end with an APK. See can ChatGPT build an app.
How much does it cost to make an Android app?
The only fee Google charges is $25, paid once, and only when you publish on Google Play. An APK you install on your own phone needs no Google fee. Fastshot builds the file on its own build machines, so you buy no extra software.
How do app creators make money?
Most earn from subscriptions, ads or a paid upgrade. Fastshot can add Adapty paywalls for subscriptions and AdMob banners and interstitials for ads. Choose one model before you build so the screens fit it.
What are the main components of an Android app?
Four: activities for screens, services for background work, broadcast receivers for system events and content providers for shared data. Fastshot writes these pieces from your description, so you do not code them yourself.
Can I make an Android app on my phone?
Yes. The Fastshot editor has a phone layout, and Preview runs the app on the phone itself. On Android, Install on this phone opens the install page of the newest APK, or starts a build when there is none.
How long does it take to make an Android app?
The first version takes about 5 to 7 minutes. An APK build usually takes about 7 minutes more. A Google Play listing then depends on your account setup and on Google review, so create the account early.
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