Skip to main content

​
Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed on your development machine:

Android Studio

Latest stable version of Android Studio (recommended: Hedgehog or newer)

JDK 17

Java Development Kit 17 or higher is required for building the project

Android SDK

Android SDK API 29+ (Android 10) - installed via Android Studio SDK Manager

Git

Git for cloning the repository
The app targets API 35 (Android 15) and has a minimum SDK requirement of API 29 (Android 10).

​
Installation steps

1

Clone the repository

Clone the GemAI repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/gemai.git
cd gemai
Replace yourusername with the actual repository owner’s username.
2

Open in Android Studio

Launch Android Studio and open the cloned project:
  1. Click File > Open
  2. Navigate to the cloned gemai directory
  3. Click OK to open the project
Android Studio will automatically start syncing Gradle files and downloading dependencies.
3

Sync Gradle dependencies

Wait for Gradle to sync all dependencies. This may take a few minutes on the first build.The project uses the following key dependencies:
build.gradle.kts
// Core Android dependencies
implementation(libs.androidx.core.ktx)
implementation(libs.androidx.lifecycle.runtime.ktx)

// Jetpack Compose
implementation(platform(libs.androidx.compose.bom))
implementation(libs.androidx.ui)
implementation(libs.androidx.material3)

// Gemini AI SDK
implementation(libs.gemini.ai)

// Room Database
implementation(libs.room.runtime)
implementation(libs.room.ktx)

// Hilt Dependency Injection
implementation(libs.hilt.android)

// DataStore
implementation(libs.androidx.datastore.core)
If you encounter sync errors, ensure you have JDK 17 configured in Android Studio. Go to File > Project Structure > SDK Location and verify the JDK path.
4

Configure build variant

GemAI uses standard Android build configurations:
  • compileSdk: 35
  • minSdk: 29
  • targetSdk: 35
  • JVM Target: 17
These are already configured in app/build.gradle.kts:
app/build.gradle.kts
android {
    namespace = "com.sarath.gem"
    compileSdk = 35

    defaultConfig {
        applicationId = "com.sarath.gem"
        minSdk = 29
        targetSdk = 35
        versionCode = 1
        versionName = "0.0.1"
    }
    
    compileOptions {
        sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_17
        targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_17
    }
    
    kotlinOptions { 
        jvmTarget = "17" 
    }
}
5

Build the project

Build the project to ensure everything is configured correctly:
./gradlew build
Or use Android Studio:
  • Click Build > Make Project or press Ctrl+F9 (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+F9 (Mac)
The first build may take several minutes as Gradle downloads all dependencies.
6

Run on device or emulator

Connect an Android device via USB or create an Android Virtual Device (AVD):For physical device:
  1. Enable Developer Options on your Android device
  2. Enable USB Debugging
  3. Connect via USB and select your device in Android Studio
For emulator:
  1. Open AVD Manager in Android Studio
  2. Create a new virtual device with API 29 or higher
  3. Launch the emulator
Then click the Run button (green play icon) or press Shift+F10.

​
Build variants

GemAI currently supports two build types:
Build TypeMinify EnabledProGuardUse Case
DebugNoNoDevelopment and testing
ReleaseNoYesProduction builds
Currently, minification is disabled for release builds. You can enable it by setting isMinifyEnabled = true in app/build.gradle.kts.

​
Troubleshooting

This error occurs when Android Studio is using a JDK version older than 17.Solution:
  1. Download and install JDK 17 or newer
  2. In Android Studio, go to File > Project Structure > SDK Location
  3. Set the JDK location to your JDK 17 installation
  4. Click Apply and sync Gradle again
This usually indicates incomplete dependency downloads or cache issues.Solution:
  1. Click File > Invalidate Caches
  2. Select Invalidate and Restart
  3. After restart, try File > Sync Project with Gradle Files
If the app builds successfully but crashes on launch, check the following:Solution:
  1. Ensure your device/emulator is running Android API 29 or higher
  2. Check Logcat in Android Studio for error messages
  3. Verify all dependencies synced correctly
  4. Try a clean rebuild: Build > Clean Project, then Build > Rebuild Project
GemAI uses KSP for Room, Hilt, and Compose Destinations code generation.Solution:
  1. Ensure KSP plugin version matches Kotlin version in gradle/libs.versions.toml: 
    kotlin = "2.1.0"
ksp = "2.1.0-1.0.29"
  2. Clean and rebuild the project

​
Verify installation

Once the app launches successfully, you should see the API key setup screen. This confirms that:
  • All dependencies are properly installed
  • The database is initialized correctly
  • The app is ready for configuration
Successful installation - API Key screen

​
Next steps

Now that you have GemAI installed, proceed to the Quick Start guide to configure your Gemini AI API key and start chatting.

Quick Start Guide

Learn how to get your API key and send your first message to Gemini AI

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us