Android Studio Integrates 'Agentic AI' Through New Journeys Feature and Agent Mode

At its Google I/O 2025 developer conference, Google announced that Android Studio, the integrated development environment for Android app creation, is receiving a significant AI upgrade.

Alongside the latest Gemini 2.5 Pro model, Android Studio is gaining a new "agentic AI" feature called Journeys and will soon introduce an "Agent Mode" for handling more complex development workflows.

Using Gemini, Journeys enables developers to test their applications by simply describing user actions and expected outcomes in natural language. Gemini then automatically executes these tests.

Google explains that this feature simplifies app testing by eliminating the need for writing extensive code. While currently experimental, the objective is to accelerate the delivery of high-quality code and reduce time spent on testing, validation, and issue replication.

According to Google, these tests can run on both physical and virtual Android devices, with results displayed directly within the IDE.

Another upcoming feature is Agent Mode, an autonomous AI capability powered by Gemini. This mode assists developers by utilizing various tools to manage complex, multi-step tasks. For example, when integrating a new API, the agent can create an execution plan that includes adding dependencies, modifying files, and resolving bugs.

Additional AI enhancements coming to Android Studio include improvements to the App Quality Insights panel. The "crash insights" feature, powered by Gemini, can now analyze an app's source code to identify potential causes of crashes and recommend fixes.

Google is also enabling developers to access experimental AI features through a new "Studio Labs" menu in Android Studio's Settings. This option will be available in stable releases, starting with the Narwhal version.

Another experimental offering is the public preview of Android Studio Cloud. Accessed via Firebase Studio, this service streams a Linux machine running Android Studio directly to a web browser, allowing Android development from any location with an internet connection.

A Version Upgrade Agent, integrated with Gemini in Android Studio, will soon be available to help automate dependency updates.

Gemini will also assist developers by automatically generating Jetpack Compose preview code, transforming UI code within the Compose Preview using natural language, attaching image files such as UI mockups to AI prompts, including project files as chat context, and defining coding styles and output formats through the new "Rules in Gemini" feature.

Google is launching an enterprise-ready version of its AI-powered Android Studio with Gemini for businesses. This allows teams to deploy AI securely while maintaining data safety when subscribing to Gemini Code Assist in Standard or Enterprise editions.

Other updates include resizable previews in Compose Preview with navigation enhancements, an embedded Android XR emulator that launches by default, and upgrades to Backup and Restore and Backup and Sync. Android's Kotlin Multiplatform will also receive several refinements.

Additionally, Google will assist developers in preparing for Android's transition to 16KB page sizes—a fundamental architectural change—by providing early warnings and testing tools for the new environment.