Fix: Godot Export to Android Fails with Gradle Errors

Here is how to fix Godot export Android gradle errors. You hit “Export Project” targeting Android in Godot 4, and instead of an APK you get a wall of red text mentioning Gradle, JDK versions, missing SDK components, or keystore failures. The export never completes, and the error messages point in half a dozen directions at once. This is one of the most common stumbling blocks for Godot developers shipping to Android, and the fix usually comes down to getting four things aligned: JDK version, Android SDK path, keystore configuration, and the Gradle wrapper.

The Symptom

When you attempt to export your Godot 4 project to Android, the editor’s output panel shows Gradle build errors. The exact message varies, but common variants include:

• “Could not determine java version from '21.0.1'” — The installed JDK is too new or too old for the Gradle version bundled with Godot’s Android build template.
• “SDK location not found” — Godot cannot locate the Android SDK on your system.
• “Failed to read key from store” — The keystore path, alias, or password in your export preset is wrong.
• “Could not find or load main class org.gradle.wrapper.GradleWrapperMain” — The Android build template has not been installed or the Gradle wrapper files are missing.

In all of these cases, the export process terminates and no APK or AAB file is produced. The Godot editor may also show a preliminary warning about missing Android configuration before you even start the export.

What Causes This

Android exports in Godot 4 work by generating a Gradle project under your res://android/build directory and then invoking Gradle to compile it into an APK or AAB. This means the export depends on external tooling that lives outside of Godot itself — specifically the Java Development Kit, the Android SDK with the correct platform tools and build tools, and a properly configured keystore for signing.

The most frequent root cause is a JDK version mismatch. Godot 4’s Android build template uses a specific Gradle version that requires JDK 17. If you have JDK 11, JDK 21, or multiple JDK installations, Gradle may pick the wrong one and fail with a cryptic version error. This is especially common on systems where JDK 21 was installed for other development work.

The second most common cause is an incorrect or missing Android SDK path. Godot needs to know where your Android SDK lives so it can find platform-tools, build-tools, and the target platform API. If you installed Android Studio and then moved or deleted it, or if you installed the command-line SDK tools manually, the path Godot has saved may no longer be valid.

Keystore errors happen when the export preset references a keystore file that does not exist, uses the wrong alias name, or has an incorrect password. This is particularly common when switching between machines or when a team shares a project but not the signing keys.

Finally, the Gradle wrapper error occurs when you have not installed the Android build template through Godot’s project menu. Without this step, the android/build directory does not exist, and Gradle has no project to build.

The Fix

Step 1: Install JDK 17 and configure the path.

Download and install JDK 17 from Adoptium or your preferred distribution. Then set the path in Godot:

# Verify JDK 17 is installed
java -version
# Should output: openjdk version "17.x.x"

# Find the installation path
# Linux/macOS:
/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk
# macOS (Homebrew):
/opt/homebrew/opt/openjdk@17
# Windows:
C:\Program Files\Eclipse Adoptium\jdk-17

In Godot, go to Editor → Editor Settings → Export → Android and set Java SDK Path to your JDK 17 installation directory. Make sure you are pointing to the top-level directory that contains the bin folder, not the bin folder itself.

Step 2: Set the Android SDK path correctly.

In the same Editor Settings section, set the Android SDK Path. The correct path is the directory containing platform-tools, build-tools, and platforms folders:

# Typical Android SDK locations
# Linux:
~/Android/Sdk
# macOS:
~/Library/Android/sdk
# Windows:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk

# Verify the path is correct by listing contents
ls ~/Android/Sdk/
# Should show: build-tools/  platforms/  platform-tools/  etc.

You also need the correct platform API installed. Open the Android SDK Manager (via Android Studio or the sdkmanager command-line tool) and ensure you have at least Android API 33 (Android 13) or the version your export preset targets.

Step 3: Generate and configure the keystore.

For debug builds, generate a debug keystore if you do not already have one:

# Generate a debug keystore
keytool -genkey -v \
  -keystore ~/.android/debug.keystore \
  -alias androiddebugkey \
  -keyalg RSA -keysize 2048 \
  -validity 10000 \
  -storepass android \
  -keypass android \
  -dname "CN=Android Debug,O=Android,C=US"

In your Godot export preset, under the Keystore section, set:

• Debug Keystore: path to debug.keystore (e.g., /home/you/.android/debug.keystore)
• Debug User: androiddebugkey
• Debug Password: android

For release builds, create a separate release keystore and guard it carefully — losing a release keystore means you cannot update your app on the Play Store.

Step 4: Install the Android build template.

In Godot, go to Project → Install Android Build Template. This creates the res://android/build directory with the Gradle wrapper, build scripts, and manifest template. If you previously had this directory but it was corrupted, delete it first and reinstall:

# Remove the old build template if it exists
rm -rf android/build

# Then in Godot: Project → Install Android Build Template
# This regenerates all Gradle files

After reinstalling the template, try the export again. The Gradle build should now find the correct JDK, SDK, and keystore.

Why This Works

The Godot Android export pipeline delegates the actual APK/AAB compilation to Gradle, which is a build system from the Android ecosystem. Gradle has strict requirements about which JDK version it supports — the version bundled with Godot 4’s template expects JDK 17 specifically. When you set the Java SDK path explicitly, you ensure Godot passes the correct JAVA_HOME to Gradle, bypassing whatever default JDK your system might resolve to.

The Android SDK path tells Gradle where to find the Android platform libraries, build tools, and platform tools needed to compile and package the app. Without a valid SDK path, Gradle cannot resolve the Android dependencies your project needs.

The keystore is required by Android’s security model — every APK must be signed, even debug builds. The keystore configuration in the export preset tells Gradle which signing identity to use. If these credentials are wrong, signing fails and the entire build aborts.

The build template installation creates the Gradle wrapper (gradlew) and the project structure Gradle needs to execute. Without these files, there is nothing for Gradle to run, which produces the “GradleWrapperMain” class-not-found error.

Related Issues

If your Android export succeeds but the exported game is missing textures or scenes at runtime, see Fix: Godot Exported Game Missing Resources or Showing Errors for details on export filter configuration.

For problems with export templates not matching your Godot version, check Fix: Godot Export Template Version Mismatch Error.

If you are targeting iOS instead and running into signing issues, see Fix: Godot iOS Export Code Signing and Provisioning Errors for the Apple-specific equivalent of this guide.

Four settings. One clean APK build.