Launching Android Studio as an administrator is necessary when dealing with restricted file access, accessing certain folders, or configuring the development environment on macOS.

Here, we’ll show you how to open Android Studio from the Mac Terminal as root with admin privileges.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow the steps below to run Android Studio as an administrator on your Mac. Each step includes a terminal command and an explanation of how it works. Remember to replace any placeholder paths with the actual paths for your system.

Step 1: Open Terminal on Your Mac

Navigate to Terminal: Open the Terminal app on your Mac. You can find it in Applications > Utilities > Terminal or search for it using Spotlight (press Cmd + Space and type “Terminal”).

Step 2: Locate the Path to Android Studio

Find the path to Android Studio if you don’t already know it. Typically, it’s installed in the Applications folder.

Open Terminal and enter the following command

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ls /Applications | grep "Android Studio"

Explanation: This lists the files and directories in the Applications folder and filters for “Android Studio.”

Step 3: Run Android Studio as Admin

Use the sudo command to launch Android Studio as an admin. Type the following command in Terminal:

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sudo /Applications/Android\ Studio.app/Contents/MacOS/studio

sudo grants administrative privileges, and the command path tells macOS where to find and execute Android Studio. The backslash (\) escapes the space in the path.

Step 4: Enter Your Admin Password

You’ll be prompted to enter your Mac administrator password. Type it carefully (note that it won’t display for security reasons) and press Enter.

Step 5: Verify Android Studio Has Opened

After entering your password, Android Studio should open with administrative privileges. You can confirm this by checking the settings or performing actions that require admin rights. Or you would see ROOT in the title of the window as shown in the following screenshot.

Tips for Running Android Studio as Admin

  • Use caution when running applications with admin privileges, as it grants access to restricted files and settings.
  • To avoid using sudo each time, you can create a shortcut script if needed.

Conclusion

Running Android Studio as an admin on macOS can give you more control over restricted files and settings essential for development. By following this guide, you’ll easily launch Android Studio from the Terminal with admin privileges whenever needed.