Android Emulator Stuck at “Waiting for target to come online”

Mitch Bartlett Comments (18)

Developers using the Android Emulator in Android Studio may have a problem where it is stuck at the “Waiting for target to come online” screen. This tutorial will explain how to fix this problem.

Fix 1 – Stop Emulator from AVD Manager

  1. From Android Studio, select “Tools” > “Android” > AVD Manager.
  2. Right-click the emulator you are using, then choose “Stop“.
  3. Try running the emulator again.

Fix 2 – Exit Docker (MacOS)

Exit out of the Docker application on your Mac computer, then attempt to launch the emulator again.

Fix 3 – Wipe Image

  1. From Android Studio, select “Tools” > “Android” > AVD Manager.
  2. Right-click the emulator you are using, then choose “Wipe Data“.
  3. Try running the emulator again.

Fix 4 – Uninstall and Reinstall AVD

  1. From Android Studio, select “Tools” > “SDK Manager” > “SDK Tools“.
  2. Uncheck “Android Emulator“.
  3. Select “Apply” to have the emulator uninstalled.
  4. Once the emulator has been removed, check the “Android Emulator” box again, then select “Apply” to reinstall it.

Author Mitch Bartlett

My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

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Comments

  1. on ubuntu 22.04.2 with android-studio-2022.2.1.20-linux. Whenever I try to emulate an app it just wangs with “Waiting for target to come online”.
    none of the suggestions helped.
    any ideas?

  4. Thanks so much. I just started out with Android development, and this fix–fix 3– turned out to be a lifesaver (not literally, but still much appreciated). :-)

  10. I have been trying every possible ways, still the issue is not solved, can anyone please help me?

  11. thank you . after 2 hours of frustration, finally your advice saved me.. fix 3 is working !!

  12. Did a cold boot, that’s what fixed it for me. I didn’t even know about the AVD Manager, thank you.

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