Android Virtual Device (AVD), is a virtual instance of the target device (phone/tablet) which can be run in the Android emulator for simulation.
Android Virtual Device (AVD), is a virtual instance of the target device (phone/tablet) which can be run in the Android emulator for simulation.
AVD supports various CPU architectures and Android API levels, emulating the necessary instruction sets. It supports some hardware like external SD card, camera that can be emulated using webcam and keyboard that can be emulated using both on screen and physical workstation keyboard. Some other hardware sensors can be emulated on AVD by using SensorSimulator.
Developer can have multiple AVD on the desktop. While AVD is not a complete replacement for testing on a physical phone, a physical phone is also not a complete replacement for AVD as AVD allows to test under various architectures , APIs and screen sizes.
Developers can use avdmanager to create or delete AVDs or manage them through Android Studio. There are several commands and options to manage and edit AVD settings here.