Android Studio Quail 4 and what comes next

Firebase in Agent Mode: the agent can enable and configure services such as Authentication and Cloud Firestore through Firebase agent skills, without leaving the IDE. Recomposition state reads: in the Layout Inspector, click a recomposition count to see which state reads triggered it, step through earlier recompositions, and ask for an AI explanation; it needs compose.ui 1.10.0 or later. Gemma 4: an integrated runtime runs the model locally for code assistance, set up under Settings > Tools > AI > Model Providers > Gemma; more in Gemma 4 in Android Studio. Predictive back in previews: Interactive Preview gains a Navigate Back action and a Predictive Back Progress slider to test transitions without a device.

Google now ties AGP support to time: each Android Studio version supports AGP versions released in the previous three years, and an older project must update AGP or be opened in an older Android Studio. To build against API 37 you need at least Panda 3 Patch 1 and AGP 9.1.1; if you are still on AGP 8, see the AGP 9 migration. Cloud features such as Gemini, Play Vitals and Firebase Crashlytics only work on the latest stable version and major versions from the previous 10 months; Otter 2 Feature Drop is deprecated and loses them at the next major release.

Rabbit 1 is in the Beta channel, with RC 2 out on September 28, 2026. It adds Publish for Testing: after generating a signed app bundle you can upload it straight to a Play Console test track, including a brand-new app’s first internal test release, which helps with Play’s closed testing requirement. It also brings Android Studio into the Gemini Enterprise bundle. Rabbit 2 is in Canary and adds Bring Your Own Agent over the Agent Client Protocol, covered in Claude, Codex and other agents in Android Studio, plus the Compose Preview Screenshot Testing tool and per-feature model assignment. Google hasn’t announced a stable date for Rabbit.

A current IDE speeds up shipping; being found brings people to what you ship. Censuus ranks apps by the visits they draw, and adding your app is free through the List my app form. Placement comes from traffic and sponsorship: apps climb on the visits they draw, and a sponsor can pay to rise higher.