How to Become an Android Developer From Scratch in 2023: the Definitive Roadmap of Learning to Achieve the Goal

Mobile development gained the spotlight among IT specializations long ago. It’s fair to say that during the last few years, its popularity has surged due to further smartphone development and our (pandemic) habit of being chronically online. Here’s a fact: average American checks their phone 262 times daily – like once every 5.5 minutes. What do they usually do? Of course, get stuck into apps. Another research shows that 21% of Millennials open an app 50+ times per day. It might be bad news for our mental health but also – great news for mobile developers that create these apps and keep them running. So if you’re contemplating the best career choice in IT, here’s an option: Android app developer.

Why Android and Not iOS

Android OS simply dominates the mobile world. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of app downloads for Android OS grew by 31%, from 21.6B to 28.3B. The installations of apps for iOS grew by 2.3% (8B → 8.2B). In 2021 Android OS reached an 87% share in the development market, and in 2022 it maintained the leadership position with a 70% share. It’s still (and will be) the most popular mobile OS in the world. Whereas Apple App Store performs better in revenue, the Google Play Store provides the apps ahead in usage. But frankly, there’s nothing to fight for in comparison between iOS and Android. Businesses prefer to develop apps for both platforms to reach all of their customers. So, let’s focus on the fun part – the benefits of Android development, the career perspectives, and the training roadmap to becoming a mobile developer. If you want to do so but don’t have any programming knowledge.

What Are The Benefits of Android App Development As a Profession

Is Android app development a good career choice for you? You bet. Here are the significant benefits to drag you into it:

1. Android is a market leader in mobile development (yep, let’s not forget about it). 71% of devices run on this operating system.

2. Android has a vast community on StackOverflow – the greatest community for professional developers and learners online. If you look at the popular tags in discussions, you’ll see that Android is placed 6th – it’s the only framework to land that high in the ranking, right after five programming languages – JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, and PHP. What’s so good about this fact? It means there’s a vast base of Q&As and code, which you might use while learning and working as an Android developer. It also means that there are tons of professionals with different experiences, which may help you with any Android development issue.

3. Android has loads of materials and libraries available for free. For instance:

   • GSON & Jackson – Serialization/Deserialization
   • Picasso & Glide – Image loading
   • Volley & Retrofit – Networking
   • Butterknife, EasyPermissions + so many other utility libraries
   • and many more that you can use for free in development just because someone decided to make them and share them with the rest of the world

4. Android developers have a great professional tool – Android Studio. It is maintained by Google and built on top of IntelliJ platforms.

5. Android developers have some of the finest salaries in the IT segment. Here’s what the average salaries in the U.S. look like based on years of experience, according to Payscale:

Your Roadmap: What to Learn to become an Android App Developer

Previously, we’ve conducted research among CodeGym graduates to discover how long it takes to learn to program in Java, depending on the students’ background. This survey inspired us to create the definitive roadmaps of knowledge you need for a certain developer profession. So, here are the knowledge and skills for becoming an Android Developer from level zero: If you’re a total rookie, this list might look intimidating, but no worries – you just need to start your learning at some point. See? You don’t need that much programming knowledge compared to the full-fledged backend- or full-stack devs. All you need is Core Java (if you choose Java as a basis for further studies) and test tools. As for the time you need for training for a junior Android dev position, here are the results we’ve got some time ago: So, if you’re a newbie without programming knowledge and study extensively, you need about a year to become a job-ready Android developer. Can you make it faster? Well, it seems that you can do it in 7 to 9 months now that we have designed a special training roadmap in CodeGym University – our new online apprenticeship, which includes training with mentors and a focus on obtaining relevant professional skills.

How to Become Android Developer from Scratch with CodeGym

If you break the roadmap of learning from a previous section, you will see that it roughly consists of two main parts:

1. Learn programming language core (Java, or Kotlin) + test tools + usage of version control system to develop and maintain your projects solo and in teams.
2. Learn Android SDK, development tools + work with databases + UI design basics, etc.

Therefore, you need two separate courses to:

1. Introduce you to programming fundamentals.
2. Give in-depth knowledge and practice in Android development.

And here’s our solution: Java Fundamentals course + Android App Development for beginners at CodeGym University.

About Java Fundamentals course

This course allows you to learn Java fundamentals from the very beginning, under the supervision of a mentor – an experienced software developer. You will study in groups and have two online classes a week with your teacher, and after each class – a homework to do, which consists of a set of additional text lectures and tasks with the automated check right on the CodeGym platform. This course is suitable for total newbies and those with prior programming knowledge from the university or online studies. You get:

• Regular 90-minute online classes
• Support by your mentor and CodeGym team in a Slack chat
• Interactive online development environment to practice coding from the first lesson
• Certificate of completion

The curriculum of ‘Java Fundamentals’ consists of two modules and lasts for four months:

1. Module 1 – Java Syntax: covers the basics of Java language (commands, methods, data types, objects, and classes, etc.), loops, arrays. It also introduces you to I/O streams and exceptions, and covers some topics about collections and generics, as well as basic programming patterns. During this part, you will solve 271 practical tasks (real programs).

2. Module 2 – Final project: a practical two-week-long module to summarize your learning. You will create a project called ‘Crypto analyzer’ – and it may become the first project for your portfolio. After you complete the programming project, your mentor will verify it and give you feedback.

About Android App Development for Beginners course

This course is suitable for learners with basic programming knowledge (like Java Fundamentals). It helps you learn the basics of Android, set up your development environment, and turn your ideas into applications. The training in this course includes:

• 90-minute online classes with a mentor twice a week
• Support by your mentor and CodeGym team in a Slack chat
• Development of 4 full-fledged mobile applications
• Certificate of completion

The training lasts three months, plus additional time to complete the final project and get extended feedback from the mentor. The curriculum includes:

• Learning ‘the core’: introduction to Android, setting up Android Studio, leading into the UI, advanced XML, working with data, connecting to APIs;
• Design patterns, databases, code reusability, best practiced of mobile development;
• Debugging Android apps + live debugging sessions;
• And more.

The practical projects during the course: ‘Quizz game,’ ‘Memo/reminder app,’ ‘Weather app,’ and a Reddit clone.

Here’s What Students That Chose this Roadmap of Learning Say

When we launched the Android App development course, a few students decided to continue their programming studies by diving into mobile. They’ve shared their learning experience and further plans with us, so you can have a kind of ‘push’ to start your learning asap:

• "I wanted to get real programming skills": the story of Radoslaw
• "I’m hoping to make coding my profession": the story of Lauren
• "I enrolled in the course with a mentor to have a better training environment": the story of Krzysztof

Wanna become an Android developer in 2023? Start with Java Fundamentals!