Where Does Android Studio Keep the SDK and AVDs?
Default Android SDK and AVD folders for Windows and macOS, and how to read the real paths out of Android Studio's own settings.
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Android Studio keeps two large things outside its own install folder. The SDK holds the platform tools, build tools and system images you download, and the AVDs hold each emulator's disk images. They live in different places, and neither one sits next to the IDE itself.
Both paths are visible inside the app, which is the quickest way to confirm them on your machine. The SDK Manager prints the location at the top of its window, and Device Manager lists every virtual device. When you move either folder later, change the setting to match, because dragging the folder by hand leaves the IDE pointing at the old path.
Where Android Studio stores this, by platform
%localappdata%\Android\Sdk
AVDs are separate: %userprofile%\.android\avd holds one <name>.avd folder per device plus a matching <name>.ini, and some emulator versions put the .avd folder directly under %userprofile%\.android. Open Settings > Languages & Frameworks > Android SDK (older versions: Appearance & Behavior > System Settings > Android SDK) to read or change the SDK path. Tools > Device Manager shows the virtual devices.
~/Library/Android/sdk
AVDs live in ~/.android/avd, same layout as Windows. Current versions show the path at Settings > Languages & Frameworks > Android SDK, older ones nest it under Appearance & Behavior > System Settings > Android SDK. Set ANDROID_HOME to this folder for the command line tools; ANDROID_SDK_ROOT still works but is deprecated, and Android Studio checks that the two agree.
Frequently asked questions
where is the android sdk installed by default
On Windows it is %localappdata%\Android\Sdk, which expands to C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk. On macOS it is ~/Library/Android/sdk. Paste either into File Explorer or Finder, or read the Android SDK Location field at the top of the SDK Manager.
how do i move the android sdk to another drive
Move the folder, then point Android SDK Location at the new path and update ANDROID_HOME if you use it. Check File > Project Structure > SDK Location as well. The IDE reads the setting rather than the folder's old address, so nothing follows the folder on its own.
where does the android emulator store avds
In the .android folder under your user profile: %userprofile%\.android\avd on Windows, ~/.android/avd on macOS. Each device is a <name>.avd folder with a <name>.ini beside it. Set ANDROID_AVD_HOME if you want the emulator to look somewhere else.
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