This quick start guide walks you through the essentials for setting up Unreal Engine for Android game development, including the following topics:
Setting up your test device and computer for Android game development.
Configuring new projects for mobile development.
Setting up Unreal Editor for packaging Android builds.
Setting the Editor to preview with mobile rendering feature levels.
Testing your project on-device from the Editor.
Packaging a standalone build of your project.
Once you’ve completed this guide, you’ll be prepared to take an Android project from initial setup to testing and packaging.
Android Development Prerequisites
The following is a list of development prerequisites:
Since August 31, 2025, the Google Play Store requires both new apps and app updates to target Android 15 (API level 35). Apps built with versions of UE that target a lower API level won't submit successfully — neither for new submissions nor for updates to existing apps. To publish or update apps on Google Play, you must use UE 5.7 or newer, which provides target SDK 35 support.
Existing apps that are not being updated must already target API level 34 to remain available to new users on devices running newer versions of Android. Apps targeting API level 33 or lower will only be served to devices on the same or older OS version.
For more information, see the Android documentation on Google Play's target API level requirement.
Current UE Version: 5.8
Android Studio Version: Koala 2024.1.2 Patch 1 September 17, 2024
Android SDK:
Recommended target SDK: SDK 35
Minimum target SDK for compilation: SDK 34
Minimum install SDK level: SDK 26
Different stores have their own target SDK minimum requirements, which may differ from that mentioned above.
NDK Version: r27c
Build-tools: 35.0.1
Java runtime: OpenJDK 21.0.3 2024-04-16
AGDE v23.2.91+ required for AGDE debugging.
Unreal Engine 5.8 supports Android devices meeting the following specifications:
Android 8 or higher
64-bit Arm-based CPU
UE 5.6 supports both 4KB and 16KB page sizes
Compatible GPUs
Mali-T8xx, G5x, G6x, G7x, G6xx, G7xx, and G9xx series
Adreno 5xx, 6xx, 7xx, and 8xx series
PowerVR Rogue (GM9446 and newer), and IMG B-series and newer (BXM, BXT, CXT, DXT)
Samsung Xclipse 5xx and 9xx series
Compatible Graphics APIs
OpenGL ES 3.2
Vulkan 1.1 on Android 10 or later devices with compatible drivers
Set Up Your Android Device
To set up your Android device for development, follow these steps:
On the device that you want to use for testing, open Settings and enable Developer Mode by tapping the Build number seven times. You may be prompted to verify your device pin.
In your device’s Settings, locate Developer Options.
In Developer Options, enable USB Debugging.
Plug your device into your computer, then allow your computer to access your device's data.
Permit your computer to install any needed drivers for your device.
For a deeper dive into setting up your Android device, see Setting up Your Android Device for Development.
Create a Project
To set up a mobile project, follow these steps:
Open Unreal Editor. In the Project Browser, click Games.
Select the game template that best suits your project.
Under Project Defaults, select either Blueprint or C++. Choose the option that best suits your project.
Set Target Platform to Mobile.
Set Quality Preset to Scalable.
Next to Project Name, enter a name for your project. Your Project Browser should now look similar to the image below.
Click Create.
Your project will open in Unreal Editor.
For a deeper dive into the project specifications shown in the images above, see Creating a Mobile Project.
Set Up Android SDK, NDK, and JDK Using Turnkey
Unreal Engine includes Turnkey, an automation tool that installs everything required to build for Android without manual configuration. Turnkey includes the following:
Android command-line tools.
Android Studio.
The SDK / NDK / JDK versions that are verified against your engine release.
To set up your SDK, NDK, and JK using Turnkey, follow these steps:
In the Unreal Editor, in the menu bar, click Platforms > SDK Management > Android > Install SDK.
A toast will appear displaying Installing Sdk for Android…
Follow the on-screen prompts. Turnkey will:
Install Android Studio (if not already present).
Download the Android command-line tools.
Install the SDK, NDK, and JDK versions required by your engine release.
Set the
ANDROID_HOME, JAVA_HOME, and related environment variables.
For more information on Android SDK setup, see Setting Up Android SDK and NDK.
If you need to manage your Android toolchain manually — for example, to pin a specific Android Studio version or set up a headless build agent — see Advanced Android SDK Setup instead.
Configure Your Project for Android
To configure your Unreal Engine Project Settings for Android, follow these steps:
In the menu bar, click Edit > Project Settings. The Project Settings window will open.
In Project Settings, navigate to Platforms > Android.
Under APK Packaging, find the Android Package Name and fill it with an appropriate company and project name. The example below uses com.EpicGames.AndroidQuickStart.
Under APK Packaging, find the Minimum SDK Version and Target SDK Version fields. Enter the target Android API device version for your project. The example below uses SDK Version 26 and SDK Version 35.
Under APK Packaging, you’ll see a warning that reads Project is not configured for the Android platform. Click Configure Now to configure your project to write the required platform files.
If the Accept SDK License button is enabled, click it to accept Android's SDK license agreement.
If you have previously accepted this agreement, you won’t need to complete this step.
Under Google Play Services, you’ll see a warning that reads Project is not configured for the Google Play services. Click the Configure Now button to configure your project to write the required files.
Your project can now create Android builds and launch on an Android device.
Launch on an Android Device
Quick Launch is the fastest way to test your project on a device. Quick Launch cooks, packages, and deploys your project in one step. To package a standalone APK for distribution or testing, see Package an Android Build.
To get started with Quick Launch, follow these steps:
Connect your Android device to your machine with a USB cable, or pair over Wi-Fi.
USB connection is recommended for the first deployment.
Confirm Developer Mode and USB Debugging are enabled, and accept the Allow USB debugging? prompt that appears on the device.
In the Editor, in the main toolbar, open the Platforms dropdown. Your device should appear in the Quick Launch Current Level section.
Click the device's name.
Unreal Engine will cook, package, and deploy the project to that device. You can monitor progress on the toast that appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
When the deployment has finished, the project should automatically start running on your Android device. If the project fails to automatically start, find your app on your device and tap it to launch manually.
Package an Android Build
To package a standalone APK for distribution and testing, follow these steps:
In the menu bar, click Platforms > Package Project > Android. Select Android (Multi:ASTC,DXT,ETC2) option.
Click on Platforms > Package Project > Package Project.
In the Package project dialogue, choose a destination folder to save your project and click Select Folder.
Unreal Editor will begin packaging your project. If you navigate to the destination folder, you’ll find the APK and OBB files necessary to install your game on an Android device. There are also a pair of .bat files for installing or uninstalling your build on a connected device.
For more information on configuring the packaging settings for Android builds, see Packaging Android Projects.
On Your Own
You’re now prepared to package and distribute your Unreal Engine projects to general Android devices.
Depending on your project's needs and the devices that you’re targeting, further configuration is required in order to optimize your builds. The following links provide more information for building your projects:
