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Introduction to Android NDK

The Android Native Development Kit (NDK) allows you to include native code in your Android application packages, compiled as JNI shared libraries. This enables you to leverage C and C++ code for performance-critical portions of your app.

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What is the Android NDK?

The NDK is a toolset that allows you to implement parts of your Android app using native-code languages such as C and C++. For certain types of apps, this can help you reuse code libraries written in those languages. Native code is compiled into JNI (Java Native Interface) shared libraries that are packaged with your Android application. Your Java or Kotlin code can then call functions in your native libraries through the JNI framework.

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Key features

High performance

Execute computationally intensive operations with native code for maximum performance

Code reuse

Leverage existing C/C++ libraries and codebases across platforms

Low-level access

Access Android and device hardware features at a lower level

Multiple build systems

Support for ndk-build and CMake build systems out of the box

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Use cases

The NDK is particularly useful for:

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Performance-critical applications

Native code can provide significant performance improvements for:
  • High-performance audio - Real-time audio processing with low latency
  • Graphics rendering - Vulkan-based graphics and game engines
  • Neural networks - Machine learning inference with optimized computation
  • Signal processing - Image, video, and audio processing algorithms

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Cross-platform development

Reuse existing C/C++ libraries across multiple platforms:
  • Port desktop applications to Android
  • Share business logic between iOS and Android
  • Integrate third-party native libraries
Most apps do not need the NDK. If you’re writing a typical Android app with standard UI and business logic, you should use Java or Kotlin exclusively.

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Getting started

Installation

Install the NDK through Android Studio or as a standalone download

Quick start

Build your first native Android application in minutes

Build systems

Learn about ndk-build and CMake build configurations

API reference

Explore the complete NDK API documentation

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Build system support

Android Studio supports both ndk-build and CMake build systems out of the box:
  • ndk-build - The NDK’s traditional build system using Android.mk files
  • CMake - Industry-standard build system with CMakeLists.txt configuration
You can choose the build system that best fits your workflow and existing codebase.
The NDK cannot be built on Windows; only Linux and macOS hosts are supported for building the NDK itself. However, you can use the NDK on Windows for app development.

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Key resources

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Documentation

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Community and support

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Understanding the C library (bionic)

Android uses its own C library called “bionic”. Important resources:
  • API availability - Different APIs are available in different Android API levels
  • Dynamic linker changes - Critical information if you encounter issues loading .so files
  • ABI considerations - Special considerations for 32-bit vs 64-bit code
Always check the Android bionic status to understand which APIs are available in your target Android versions.

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Next steps

Ready to start building native Android applications? Follow our installation guide to set up your development environment, then work through the quick start tutorial to create your first native app.

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