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After installation of Android SDK, there was created .android folder on the E:\ drive. As far as I know this is the default folder of Android Virtual Devices for configuration files.

How can I move .android folder to a different location?

(eg. from E:\.android to E:\Android\.android)

Dariusz Bacinski
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    Possible duplicate of [Possible to change where Android Virtual Devices are saved?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2841766/possible-to-change-where-android-virtual-devices-are-saved) – Xcalibur Nov 21 '16 at 02:51

8 Answers8

226

I've found the answer.

  • Move .android folder to E:\Android
  • Create environment variable called ANDROID_SDK_HOME and set its value to E:\Android

Setting the environment variable on Windows XP or Windows 7:

  1. Right-click on My Computer and choose "Properties"
  2. Click the "Advanced" tab
  3. Click the button "Environment Variables".
  4. Add New variable
Dariusz Bacinski
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    Thank you, this worked for me. I was running out of space on C: where it initially put all the AVD files and was causing other problems with the computer. – MichaelF Mar 21 '12 at 12:39
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    Thanks a lot. Many other sources suggested changing the `ANDROID_SDK_HOME`, but the detail about copying the `.android` folder was the last missing piece. – luiscubal Oct 18 '12 at 23:08
  • @luiscubal, just using window explorer copy and paste. – Cheung Aug 28 '13 at 03:25
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    On Windows 10, I had to make sure to add ANDROID_SDK_HOME within the existing PATH variable. It did NOT work when I added it as a new environment variable. – blizz Aug 24 '16 at 14:13
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    I had to make sure .android was a subdirectory of the ANDROID_SDK_HOME for it to be found. This makes sense to me as the .android directory is not the sdk directory (at least in Android Studio 2.2.2) – Xcalibur Nov 21 '16 at 03:37
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    thanks, this is the correct answer. is this possible to use the same method for changing the location of `.AndroidStudio2.1` and `.gradle` folders of Android Studio? – ir-tech Dec 14 '16 at 12:27
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    @ir-tech you can override the default `~/.gradle` location by setting the GRADLE_USER_HOME environmental variable – mateor Feb 28 '17 at 17:41
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    If your AVDs don't work anymore, you can recreate them. – Dino Velić Oct 11 '17 at 13:25
  • I had to update `path` in each avd .ini file, otherwise they were showing up as corrupted. – Artem Russakovskii Feb 22 '20 at 15:52
  • Still valid instructions. I can use Android Studio and Visual Studio 2019 without problems, after setting the variable. – Mário Meyrelles May 27 '21 at 18:20
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By default, the emulator stores configuration files under $HOME/.android/ and AVD data under $HOME/.android/avd/. You can override the defaults by setting the following environment variables.

The emulator searches the avd directory in the order of the values in $ANDROID_AVD_HOME, $ANDROID_SDK_HOME/.android/avd/, and $HOME/.android/avd/.

This page provides the list of environmental variables supported by android studio: https://developer.android.com/studio/command-line/variables

rpattabi
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RonTLV
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8

The path set in ANDROID_SDK_HOME must exist. Otherwise the default path will be chosen. But it is not necessary to include .android. The AVD Manager creates a .android folder, if not found in ANDROID_SDK_HOME.

cagdasalagoz
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robbash
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  • I confirmed these instructions are correct as of Android Studio 2.2.2 in 2016. As long as your .android folder is a subdirectory of the ANDROID_SDK_HOME it works. It can be a user or system environment variable – Xcalibur Nov 21 '16 at 03:36
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If you go for this answer be aware of this note: Starting with Android Studio 4.2, the ANDROID_SDK_HOME environment variable is deprecated and has been replaced with ANDROID_PREFS_ROOT.

MCP2019
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6

In addition to the answer provided by Dariusz Bacinski, you have to include the .android folder in the ANDROID_SDK_HOME path. It was not working for me if I did not include the .android folder.

Dariusz Bacinski
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shmoo
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  • I've tried both, still not working for me either way. I have a honeycomb tablet and a gingerbread phone to test on, but one of my computers doesn't like Motorola's drivers for whatever reason, so I need an AVD. – Mike Oct 20 '11 at 16:39
  • hmm, nevermind. Changing the debug keystore from default seems to have solved the problem for some reason. – Mike Oct 20 '11 at 16:43
  • This is not correct - it will look for a .android SUB-folder under the ANDROID_SDK_HOME, so following these instructions does not work. See the answer below – Xcalibur Nov 21 '16 at 03:35
  • I already copied `avd` inside `%ANDROID_SDK_HOME %\.android`, so no more folders were needed. – CoolMind Mar 29 '19 at 15:53
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If you want to move just the AVD folder and not everything else, use those environmental variables.

ANDROID_EMULATOR_HOME: Sets the path to the user-specific emulator configuration directory. The default location is $ANDROID_SDK_HOME/.android/.

ANDROID_AVD_HOME: Sets the path to the directory that contains all AVD-specific files, which mostly consist of very large disk images. The default location is $ANDROID_EMULATOR_HOME/avd/. You might want to specify a new location if the default location is low on disk space.

rtsketo
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1

If you would like your avd sdcard and files on a different drive, go to $HOME/.android/avd and move the folder <AVD_NAME>.avd to someplace else

Edit $HOME/.android/avd/<AVD_NAME>.ini and change

path=<NEW_AVD_LOCATION>/<AVD_NAME>.avd

$HOME depends on your system. On windows it can be your user directory

Dennis Maina
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  1. (Optional) Download Rapid Environment Editor
  2. Add a new system variable

ANDROID_PREFS_ROOT = D:\IDE\Externals\ANDROID_PREFS_ROOT (The folder you want to move to.)

  1. Save and you're done.
Cyber Avater
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