Add App Resources

App resources such as bitmaps and layouts are organized into type-specific directories inside each module's res/ directory. You can also add alternative versions of each file that that are optimized for different device configurations (such as a high-res version of a bitmap for high-density screens).

Android Studio helps you add new resources and alternative resources in several ways, depending on the type of resource you want to add. This page describes how to add generic XML files or resource directories to your project. You might instead want to see the following pages for information about other resource types:

• To add layout files, see Build a UI with Layout Editor.
• To add string files, see Localize the UI with Translations Editor.
• To add bitmaps, see Create App Icons with Image Asset Studio.
• To add SVG files, see Add Multi-Density Vector Graphics.

For information about how to reference the resources from your app code, see Providing Resources.

Add an XML Resource File

Although the pages linked above describe workflows that are customized to each type of resource, you can add any XML resource file by following these steps:

1. Click the target app module in the Project window (while in either the Android or Project view), and then select File > New > Android resource file.

   
2. Fill in the details in the dialog:
   • File name: Type the name for the XML file (does not require the .xml suffix).
   • Resource type: Select the type of resource you want to create.
   • Root element: If applicable, select the root XML element for the file. Some resource types support only one type of root element, so depending on the type selected above, this might not be editable.
   • Source set: Select the source set where you want to save the file.
   • Directory name: The directory must be named in a way that's specific to the resource type and configuration qualifiers. So you should not edit this unless you want to add configuration qualifiers to the directory name by hand (see Available qualifiers instead).
   • Available qualifiers: Instead of typing configuration qualifiers for your layout directory, you can add them by clicking a qualifier from the list on the left, and then clicking Add .
3. Once you've added all the qualifiers you want, click OK.

Tip: Right-click an existing resource directory within the res folder and select New > type resource file. This opens a simplified version of the New Resource File dialog that's specific to your desired resource type.

Add a Resource Directory

If you need to add a new resource directory, follow these steps:

1. Click the target app module in the Project window, and then select File > New > Android resource directory.

   
2. Fill in the details in the dialog:
   • Directory name: The directory must be named in a way that's specific to the resource type and combination of configuration qualifiers. So you should not edit this unless you want to add configuration qualifiers to the directory name by hand (use Available qualifiers instead).
   • Resource type: Select the type of resource you want to create.
   • Source set: Select the source set where you want the layout.
   • Available qualifiers: Instead of typing configuration qualifiers for your layout directory, you can add them by clicking a qualifier from the list on the left, and then clicking Add .
3. Once you've added all the qualifiers you want, click OK.