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Android Studio SDK Location Not Found

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Workaround available Windows, macOS, Linux Updated November 13, 2026Based on 3 user reportsHow we research

Quick answer

'SDK location not found' means the project cannot find the Android SDK folder. Set it in Project Structure or add sdk.dir to local.properties.

Most likely fix: Set the SDK path in Android Studio

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Set the SDK path in Android Studio

    1. File > Settings > Appearance & Behavior > System Settings > Android SDK
    2. Check or change Android SDK Location (on Windows the default is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk)
    3. Apply, then sync
    Did this fix it?

  2. 2. Fix local.properties

    1. Open local.properties in the project root (do not commit it)
    2. Add sdk.dir=/path/to/Sdk; on Windows escape backslashes, for example sdk.dir=C\:\\Users\\you\\AppData\\Local\\Android\\Sdk
    3. Sync again
    Did this fix it?

  3. 3. Set ANDROID_HOME for CLI builds

    1. Set the ANDROID_HOME environment variable to your SDK folder
    2. Restart the terminal and IDE
    Did this fix it?

  4. 4. Install missing SDK components

    1. Tools > SDK Manager: install the SDK Platform and Build-Tools your project uses (compileSdk)
    2. Apply and wait for the download to finish
    Did this fix it?

Symptoms

Sync or build fails with 'SDK location not found. Define a valid SDK location with an ANDROID_HOME environment variable or by setting the sdk.dir path in your project's local.properties file'.

Why it happens

  • local.properties missing or deleted, for example after cloning a repo
  • Wrong or old sdk.dir path after moving the SDK or changing computers
  • ANDROID_HOME not set when building from the command line
  • SDK not installed yet

This guide also covers

  • sdk location not found android studio
  • android studio sdk.dir local.properties
  • android home not set

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