Android development with Python: How to Get Started

Android apps are everywhere, and learning to build them can be a fantastic career move. Mobile app development has become a lucrative career path, with experts in the field claiming that this industry is worth more than $50 billion and will continue to grow over the next several years. As a programmer, you may have come across Python, especially if you work with data science or machine learning. This popular programming language has become one of the most preferred languages to learn, but it can also be used for mobile app development. Python is a dynamic, high-level, open-source programming language that is great for writing small scripts but also powers some of the largest web applications in the world. Though Python isn't natively meant for mobile app development, it can be used to create mobile applications. It can help you learn to build an app the way you want it. You'll be able to write your app once in Python and deploy it on all popular mobile platforms, including Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile. Here, we'll discuss how you can get started with Android development with python. We will look at how you can build mobile apps with Python and what tools you need to get started.

Can Python Build Mobile Apps?

The simple answer to this question is yes, and it's, even more, easier than you think. Python is a powerful backend programming language that is being used by the biggest tech companies in the world, including but not limited to Google, Facebook and Instagram. This is a valid question since Python isn't statically typed and thus doesn't lend itself to the same optimization level as a C++ or Swift. But Python has some remarkable frameworks that make it easy to build mobile apps, including Kivy, which targets desktop and mobile, and BeeWare, which is focused on native mobile app development. Yes, Python can build mobile applications. It's possible to build mobile apps with Python using tools such as BeeWare toolkit, Kivy, Chaquopy, and Pyqtdeploy, which we will be looking into how later in this article. These tools can be used to build cross-platform mobile apps for both Android and iOS platforms. Python can be used to build server-side web applications and software. But it's not just for the web. You can use Python to create Android, iOS, and Windows mobile apps. Since Python programming is a language, this article will discuss the language itself and how to write applications that use the language. However, Python can certainly be used for Android app development, but it’s not the ideal choice for this platform because:

• It doesn’t run natively on Android (i.e., you need another tool like Kivy to make it work).
• The resulting apps tend to be slow because they require an interpreter and are cross-compiled into native code by a JavaScript bridge.

Some developers have successfully used Python to build mobile apps despite these issues. For example, Instagram uses Python for its server backend, and NASA has built several games and mobile apps using it too. That said, the team at NASA says that they now prefer to use Java for their Android projects whenever possible. Nonetheless, it's not easy to choose the best platform for your app development stage. Below, we have discussed some of the best platforms to develop Android apps with Python programming language for this problem.

Build your First Mobile App with Python

Python is a versatile, dynamically typed programming language that can be used to create various applications—from web development to data science and beyond. Python’s simplicity and versatility make developers highly productive. The proliferation of smartphones and mobile applications has created a pressing need for app developers around the globe. According to the International Data Corporation, by 2020, there will be over 267 billion mobile users worldwide. As a result, demand for Android app developers is growing exponentially. With Android being one of the foremost leaders in mobile operating systems, there is a considerable demand for Android engineers and app developers who can build high-quality, functional, and aesthetically pleasing apps. Building your first Android app using python is a dream come true. The app developer community has flourished in recent years, and it's never been easier to get started building your own apps. While there are many different options for developing apps, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, Python has emerged as a front-runner for many reasons. It's one of the most popular programming languages that developers use today, and it comes with an extensive set of libraries that let you accomplish just about anything you could want to do on Android. There are several ways to do it: using Cython to develop cross-platform C-based language bindings or using Kivy, a Python library for developing multi-platform GUI applications with Python." A good way to learn how to build your first app using Python is by following the steps below:

• Download and install android studio.
• Download and Install python 2.7 on your computer.
• Start android studio and create a new project by clicking File -> New Project -> select the Empty Activity option, then click Next -> enter the name of your project, then click Finish.
• Inside your activity_main.xml file, add the code that is shown below. This will be the layout of our form.< FrameLayout xmlns.

However, You'll need to install a few things before getting started: Python 3, Android SDK (software development kit), an IDE (integrated development environment),, and Java JDK 5 or 6. We recommend using IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition, which is a free version of IntelliJ IDEA. This IDE comes with a built-in decompiler for Java classes, an Android resource editor for all types of resources, Kotlin support, etc. With your tools installed, you're ready to start building your first app! We recommend starting with something simple.

Best platforms for Python Android Development

There are many platforms for Android app development using python. The best ones we have found can be listed as Kivy, PyQt, BeeWare, and Chaquopy. These platforms are ideal for a beginner who is just starting with Android app development using python. Their ease of use makes them ideal for someone new to the field of mobile app development using python. The Android platform provides a means for you to develop mobile applications. Android applications consist of various components, such as activities, services, broadcast receivers, and content providers. Android app development using Python is an easy process with the use of several platforms. These platforms provide developers with what they need to create high-quality apps and games. It's worth mentioning that there are several platforms for Android app development with Python, which use different solutions for each part of the application. Here are some of the best ones available:

1. Kivy

Remi Gagne created kivy in 2007, and it can be thought of as a wrapper around OpenGL, windowing toolkits like GTK+ or Qt, and other libraries. Kivy uses Python for everything from configuration to creating object-oriented base classes for your custom widgets. It also has its own widget framework, which was built with Python's OOP capabilities in mind. This means that Kivy is able to create entire interfaces through a single XML file! Kivy is an open-source library that allows developers to create apps using Python and can be installed on Linux, Windows, and OS X. Kivy is a cross-platform solution for multi-touch applications. It supports Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS X, making it a great choice for developers looking to expand their app beyond Android. It offers direct access to the Android hardware and can be used with or without an IDE. Kivy also has a large number of additional modules that extend its functionality, including Box2D, Fullscreen support, and OpenGL drawing.

2. PyQt

PyQt is another option for developing apps in Python for Android devices. This framework was developed by Nokia and is very similar to Kivy—it also uses a cross-platform Python library to allow apps written in this language to run on multiple operating systems, including Mac OS X and Windows. PyQt tends to be preferred over Kivy due to the number of available resources for learning how to use it effectively. It's also possible to build apps using both platforms, combining the ease of portability with the extra functionality provided by Kivy. PyQt is built with the Qt toolkit, which allows for high performance and easy development. It was specifically designed with QWidgets in mind, so it works well with apps that follow a GUI-based design pattern. PyQt offers low-level access to graphics drivers as well as multi-touch support and hardware acceleration. It is also available for multiple operating systems including Windows, OS X, Solaris, Linux, Raspbian (for Raspberry Pi), and iOS.

3. BeeWare

BeeWare is a more current platform that is built exclusively for game development. BeeWare is a Java package that allows you to access the Google Android SDK from any platform using JNI (Java Native Interface). Beaware also uses Python to create cross-platform programs that can be installed on Android. It operates on Windows, Linux, and OS X and is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. BeeWare provides the following;

• Tools to help you write Python code with a rich,
• Native user interface;
• The libraries and support code are necessary to get that code running on iOS, Android, macOS, Linux, Windows, tvOS, and more.

The Open Source development methodology has proven to be the most dependable method for creating stable and reliable software. That's why the entire BeeWare toolkit is BSD licensed and open to everyone to use and modify.

4. Chaquopy

Python is one of the most popular programming languages for Android and is also used for building robust web applications. Chaquopy is a Gradle-based build system plugin for Android Studio. Chaquopy allows you to easily blend Java and Python in your app, allowing you to use the language that best suits your needs: You can use the Python API to develop an app that is partially or totally written in Python. You have complete access to the Android API and user interface toolkit.  Chaquopy is compatible with Android's standard build system. If you're already using Android Studio, you can get started with Chaquopy in 5 minutes with no changes to your current development process. Gradle is used to automate the download and installation process. Chaquopy comes with everything you'll need to integrate Python components into an Android app, including:

• Android Studio's standard Gradle build mechanism is fully integrated.
• Simple APIs for invoking Python code from Java/Kotlin and the other way around.
• SciPy, OpenCV, TensorFlow, and many other third-party Python packages are available.

Conclusion

The Android operating system is an open-source software stack for mobile devices. It is based on a modified Linux kernel and other open-source software. In the Android operating system, each application runs as a process with root access (though the application sandbox can prevent direct access to the hardware). The applications in Android are written mainly in Java and Kotlin, with some native code, mostly in C and C++. Python is a general-purpose interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, and high-level programming language. Mobirevo is an Android App Development Company in Nigeria that handles all parts of the mobile application development process. We put all of our resources and team members at your disposal so that they may start writing code for your future application line by line. Furthermore, we use the agile methodology throughout the process and place a high value on the treatment and relationship with the customer. We maintain a series of monthly meetings and version delivery until your development is completed in the timeframe specified. Contact us right away if you have an idea or wish to enhance an existing app and get a free quote. We promise the most cost-effective and high-quality items available. Our team at Mobirevo strives to provide unrivaled services to all of our valued clients. You can also check out our case study page to see our client’s portfolio and get a better understanding of the quality of products we deliver. Also, contact us if you have any questions about our services, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Want to receive more content like this? You can sign up for our newsletter, which features curated opinions, and web app development tools for building remarkable digital assets. If you sign up for our weekly newsletter, you will be the first to know when we publish awesome content like this. You can also visit our blog to see other content created with love by our amazing team.