Debug your Xamarin Apps with the Visual Studio Android Emulator

Yes, it can be difficult to debug Android apps on Windows. The good news is, it doesn't have to be! If you are building cross-platform apps using technologies like Xamarin, the Visual Studio Android Emulator is your friend! In this video, I demonstrate how you can create a default cross-platform Xamarin.Forms app and start debugging it in about 3 minutes from start to finish!

Here's what you'll need:

• A PC running Visual Studio 2015 (Community Edition works great). Make sure Xamarin tools and the Visual Studio Android Emulator are enabled in your Visual Studio install.
• A Xamarin account - if you are a student you can get it free via Microsoft Imagine!

That's it. You don't have to install the Android SDK which can save you a bunch of time and disk space! Here's what the emulator looks like running a default Xamarin.Forms app:

Want to know more? Here are some great resources:

• Xamarin for Students Microsoft Imagine Offer
• Video: Visual Studio Emulator for Android
• Xamarin Developer Center

Thanks,
Gavin