Model Choices Expand in Android Studio Otter

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Android Studio Otter lets developers log in with Gemini Enterprise, Google AI Pro, or a Gemini API key. A new bring-your-own-model feature supports remote or local models. Android Bench, built from real-world Android tasks, evaluates model performance. Open models were added this week. Long-running tests and agent evaluations arrive soon. The model picker shows all connected models and lets developers switch mid-session.

Gemma 4 Runs Locally, Offline, and Agent-Optimized

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Android Studio supports local LLM runners like Ollama and LM Studio. The recommended model is Gemma 4 from Google. Gemma 4 has native agentic tool calling, built-in reasoning for agent mode, and is trained on Android APIs and Kotlin. It runs completely offline using laptop security. On Android Bench, Gemma 4 competes with top proprietary models.

Android CLI Cuts Token Use 70%, Speeds Tasks 3x

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A new android CLI acts as a programmatic interface for LLMs. Internal testing showed tasks completed three times faster than with generic LM tools. Token usage dropped more than 70% when creating projects. The CLI exposes Android skills and knowledge base. Google AI Studio now uses the same CLI to generate native Android apps from a prompt. Apps export to Android Studio or Anti-gravity.

Agent v2 and Studio Quail Canary Ship Parallel Tool Calls

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Android Studio Quail 2 Canary includes a rewritten agent with sub-agents and parallel tool calls. Gemma 4 is available as a built-in model provider. A new screenshot test library with golden file diffs simplifies visual testing. The sandbox environment mounts only approved folders and lets developers edit the mount list. Shell commands are parsed and translated into native IDE operations, enabling 3,000 lint and inspection checks before and after every file write.

Performance Tools and Light Build Enter Preview

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The standalone Android performance analyzer handles system traces with GPU counters, Vulkan layers, and recorded screenshots. Leak Canary is integrated; a “fix with agent” button starts leak analysis and patches. The R8 configuration analyzer shows keep rules from all library dependencies and flags overly broad rules. Light Build is a new declarative build system for simple apps. Dependencies resolve instantly via a checked-in lock file. It enters close preview today, with a public canary expected in weeks.

Notable Quotes

tasks were completed three times faster than when agents attempted the same task using only generic LM tools Tor Norbye · ▶ Watch (11:19)

we saw a reduction of LM tokens by more than 70% when using Android CLI to create new projects when compared to using other generic LM tools Tor Norbye · ▶ Watch (11:26)

Views are in maintenance mode. Compose is great. Please use it. Tor Norbye · ▶ Watch (27:45)

we have a sandbox … you can edit this … add additional commands and folders if you want to read or write them Tor Norbye · ▶ Watch (24:00)

Key Takeaways

  • Android Studio Otter supports Gemini Enterprise, Google AI Pro, and bring-your-own models.
  • Android CLI cuts token usage by 70% and completes tasks 3x faster than generic LM tools.
  • Light Build offers instant project creation with a declarative, lock-file-based build system.