setup-android-cli

A GitHub Action that installs Google's agent-first android CLI, sets up the Android SDK, and caches between runs. Drop-in replacement for setup-android with a simpler, faster setup.

Why switch?

	setup-android	setup-android-cli
Download size	~300 MB (cmdline-tools zip)	~5 MB (single binary)
Install	Unzip + accept licenses + sdkmanager	curl one binary
Package syntax	"platforms;android-34" (semicolons)	platforms/android-34 (slashes)
License prompt	yes | sdkmanager --licenses	Auto-accepted, non-interactive
Action type	JavaScript (Node 20, bundled)	Composite (pure YAML + shell)
Version tracking	Pin a cmdline-tools build number	Always installs the current CLI release

Usage

Basic

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - uses: actions/setup-java@v4
    with:
      distribution: temurin
      java-version: '21'
  - uses: premex-ab/setup-android-cli@v1
    with:
      packages: platform-tools
  - run: ./gradlew --no-daemon build

Multiple packages

  - uses: premex-ab/setup-android-cli@v1
    with:
      packages: |
        platforms/android-34
        build-tools/34.0.0
        platform-tools

CLI only (no SDK packages)

  - uses: premex-ab/setup-android-cli@v1
  - run: android --version

Custom SDK path

  - uses: premex-ab/setup-android-cli@v1
    with:
      sdk-path: /opt/android-sdk
      packages: platforms/android-34 build-tools/34.0.0 platform-tools

Disable caching

  - uses: premex-ab/setup-android-cli@v1
    with:
      cache: 'false'
      packages: platform-tools

Inputs

Input	Default	Description
packages	''	SDK packages to install, space- or newline-separated (slash syntax). Empty = CLI only.
sdk-path	platform default	Override SDK install location. Exported as ANDROID_HOME.
cache	'true'	Cache ~/.android/bin and the SDK between runs.
cache-key	''	Extra input appended to cache key (for busting).
no-metrics	'true'	Pass --no-metrics to opt out of CLI telemetry.
install-url-base	Google redirector	Override download URL base (for mirrors / air-gap).

Outputs

Output	Description
sdk-path	Absolute path to the installed Android SDK.
cli-version	Version string from android --version.
cache-hit	Whether the cache was restored (true/false, empty if caching disabled).

What it does

1. Downloads the android CLI launcher (~5 MB) into the runner's tool cache.
2. Unpacks embedded resources on first run into ~/.android/bin/ (~78 MB, cached).
3. Exports ANDROID_HOME and adds platform-tools/, emulator/, and cmdline-tools/latest/bin/ to PATH.
4. Runs android sdk install <packages> if packages are specified.
5. Registers Gradle, Kotlin, and Android Lint problem matchers so build errors show inline in the GitHub UI.
6. Writes a job summary table with CLI version, SDK path, and cache status.

Supported runners

Runner	Status
ubuntu-latest / ubuntu-22.04	Supported
macos-latest / macos-14 (Apple Silicon)	Supported
macos-13 (Intel, Rosetta)	Best-effort (warning emitted)
windows-*	Not yet supported (the CLI itself has limited Windows support)
Self-hosted Linux x86_64 / macOS arm64	Supported

Caching

By default the action caches ~/.android/bin (CLI resources, ~78 MB) and the full SDK directory between runs. The cache key includes OS, architecture, and the hash of **/libs.versions.toml, **/build.gradle*, and **/settings.gradle* so it busts when your project's SDK requirements change.

Gradle caching is not handled by this action. Use gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v4 for that.

Migrating from setup-android

 - name: Setup Android SDK
-  uses: android-actions/setup-android@v3
-  with:
-    packages: 'tools platform-tools'
+  uses: premex-ab/setup-android-cli@v1
+  with:
+    packages: platform-tools

Key differences:

• No cmdline-tools-version input (always current release).
• No accept-android-sdk-licenses input (auto-accepted).
• Package names use slashes instead of semicolons: platforms/android-34 not "platforms;android-34".
• tools package doesn't exist in the new CLI; drop it.

Problem matchers

This action registers problem matchers for:

• Android Lint warnings and errors
• Gradle build errors
• Kotlin compiler warnings and errors

These surface build issues as inline annotations in the GitHub UI.

License

MIT