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Using the Android editor

In 2023, we added an Android port of the editor _ that can be used to create, develop, and export 2D and 3D projects on Android devices.

The app can be downloaded from the Godot download page _ or from the Google Play Store _.

note

The Android editor is in early access, while we continue to refine the experience. See doc_using_the_android_editor_limitations below.

Android devices support

The Android editor requires devices running Android 5 Lollipop or higher, with at least OpenGL 3 support. This includes (not exhaustive):

  • Android tablets, foldables and large phones
  • Android-powered netbooks
  • Chromebooks supporting Android apps

Runtime Permissions

Tips & Tricks

Input

  • For the best experience and high level of productivity, connecting a bluetooth keyboard & mouse is recommended to interact with the Android editor. The Android editor supports all of the usual shortcuts and key mappings _.
  • When interacting with keyboard & mouse, you can decrease the size of the scrollbar using the interface/touchscreen/increase_scrollbar_touch_area _ editor setting.
  • For 2D projects, the block coding plugin _ can provide a block-based visual alternative to composing scripts when lacking a connected hardware keyboard.

Multi-tasking

  • On smaller devices, enabling and using picture-in-picture (PiP) mode provides the ability to easily transition between the Editor and the Play window.

Projects sync

  • Syncing projects via Git can be done by downloading an Android Git client. We recommend the Termux terminal _, an Android terminal emulator which provides access to common terminal utilities such Git and SSH.

    • Note: To use Git with the Termux terminal, you'll need to grant WRITE permission to the terminal. This can be done by running the following command _ from within the terminal: termux-setup-storage

Plugins

  • GDExtension plugins work as expected, but require the plugin developer to provide native Android binaries.

Limitations & known issues

Here are the known limitations and issues of the Android editor:

  • No gradle build support.
  • No support for Android plugins as they require gradle build support. GDExtensions plugins are supported.
  • No C#/Mono support.
  • No support for external script editors.
  • While available, the Vulkan Forward+ renderer is not recommended due to severe performance issues.
  • UX not optimized for Android phones form-factor.
  • Android Go devices _ lacks the All files access permission required for device read/write access. As a workaround, when using an Android Go device, it's recommended to create new projects only in the Android Documents or Downloads directories.
  • The editor doesn't properly resume when Don't keep activities is enabled in the Developer Options.
  • There is a bug _ with the Samsung keyboard that causes random input to be inserted when writing scripts. It's recommended to use the Google keyboard (Gboard) _ instead.