AVD Manager & SDK Manager Missing or greyed out in Android Studio

AVD Manager or SDK Manager becomes greyed out or goes missing from the Android Studio is the common issue that arises in Android studio. This guide explores all the possibilities of that happenings and discusses how you can solve them.

You can find the AVD Manager & SDK Manager option under the Tools menu as shown below. In the older version of the Android studio you will find this menu under the Tools -> Android.

It may happen that you may find AVD Manager & SDK Manager options goes missing from the menu as shown below

AVD Manager & SDK Manager is missing in the Menu
AVD Manager & SDK Manager is missing in the Menu

AVD Manager is missing

  • Android Menu under tools is missing. 
  • Might see “Failed to find Build Tools revision xx.x.x” as shown below
  • AVD Manager is greyed out in the toolbar

This may happen for several reasons

  1. SDK Build Tools are not installed
  2. Invalid SDK Path

SDK Build Tools are not installed

SDK Build tools are installed when you create a new project. If it fails then you may have to install it again. You look at the build tab at the bottom of the screen, it will display the error message and option to install the Build tools. Install it and you should be able to see the AVD Manager.

Missing AVD Manager because Build tools are not installed
Missing AVD Manager because Build tools are not installed

Another way is to go to the SDK Manager. Under SDK Tools you will find the Android SDK Build tools. Install based on the API. Also ensure that you have the latest version of Emulator, Platform-Tools & SDK Tools installed.

SDK Path is Invalid

Invalid or Missing SDK Path is another reason for such errors. Open the Android SDK Manager ( Tools -> SDK Manager) and check the Android SDK Location as shown in the image below

AVD Manager Missing  because Android SDK Path is invalid
AVD Manager Missing because Android SDK Path is invalid

Ensure that it points to the correct location. The SDK is usually installed at the location C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Android\sdk. If you cannot find the location or you have logged in as a different user, then you can create the folder and enter it here. Once the path is valid, the Android studio will download & install the required SDK on its own.

Android SDK Manager not visible

If Android SDK Manager is not visible then you need to reinstall the Android Studio. Follow these steps to Uninstall and Install Android Studio.

  1. Uninstall Android Studio
  2. Delete the folder C:\Program Files\Android ( C:\Program Files (x86)\Android if 32bit installation)
  3. Remove the SDK Folder. You will find it here C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Android\sdk. (unless you have changed it)
  4. Install the Android Studio

References

  1. How to Install Android Studio
  2. How to Install Android SDK Tools
  3. AVD Manager

Summary

In this guide, we learned how to solve the AVD Manager or SDK Manager missing or greyed out issue in Android Studio.

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