Auth0 Android Integration
Add authentication to Android applications using com.auth0.android:auth0.
Agent instruction: Before providing SDK setup instructions, fetch the latest release version by running: `` gh api repos/auth0/Auth0.Android/releases/latest --jq '.tag_name' ` Use the returned version in all implementation` dependency lines instead of any hardcoded version below. If the command fails, fall back to checking https://github.com/auth0/Auth0.Android/releases.
Prerequisites
- Android API 21 or higher
- Kotlin or Java project
- Auth0 account with a Native application configured
- If you don't have Auth0 set up, see auth0-quickstart
When NOT to Use
Quick Start Workflow
- Install SDK: Add the Auth0 Android SDK dependency to your
build.gradle: implementation 'com.auth0.android:auth0:{LATEST_VERSION}' - Configure Auth0: Agent instruction: Check whether the user prompt already includes both Auth0 Client ID and Domain. If both are provided, proceed directly to Manual Setup in Setup Guide using those values. If either is missing, you MUST ask the user BEFORE writing any code or files: Question: "How would you like to configure Auth0 for this project?" Options: "Automatic setup (Recommended) — Auth0 CLI creates the app and writes credentials to strings.xml" / "Manual setup — I'll provide my Client ID and Domain" Then follow Setup Guide for the chosen path. Do NOT proceed to step 3 until Auth0 credentials are confirmed.
- Initialize: Create an Auth0 account instance:
import com.auth0.android.Auth0 val account = Auth0.getInstance(context) - Add Auth UI: Implement login and logout with Web Auth: Agent instruction: Before adding new UI elements, search the project for existing click handlers for login, logout, sign-in, or sign-out buttons (e.g.,
loginButton, signInButton, logoutButton, signOutButton, or setOnClickListener with auth-related naming). If existing handlers are found, hook the Auth0 code into them without modifying the existing UI. Only create new buttons if no existing handlers are found. Login: import com.auth0.android.Auth0 import com.auth0.android.authentication.AuthenticationAPIClient import com.auth0.android.authentication.storage.SecureCredentialsManager import com.auth0.android.authentication.storage.SharedPreferencesStorage import com.auth0.android.callback.Callback import com.auth0.android.authentication.AuthenticationException import com.auth0.android.provider.WebAuthProvider import com.auth0.android.result.Credentials val account = Auth0.getInstance(context) val authentication = AuthenticationAPIClient(account) val storage = SharedPreferencesStorage(context) val credentialsManager = SecureCredentialsManager(context, authentication, storage) WebAuthProvider.login(account).withScheme(getString(R.string.com_auth0_scheme)).withScope("openid profile email offline_access").start(this, object: Callback<Credentials, AuthenticationException> {override fun onSuccess(result: Credentials) {// User authenticated val idToken = result.idToken val accessToken = result.accessToken // Store credentials securely credentialsManager.saveCredentials(result)} override fun onFailure(error: AuthenticationException) {// Handle authentication failure Log.e("Auth0", "Authentication failed", error)}}) Logout: WebAuthProvider.logout(account).withScheme(getString(R.string.com_auth0_scheme)).start(this, object: Callback<Void?, AuthenticationException> {override fun onSuccess(result: Void) {// User logged out} override fun onFailure(error: AuthenticationException) {Log.e("Auth0", "Logout failed", error)}}) - Build & Verify: Agent instruction: After completing the integration, build the project to verify it compiles successfully:
./gradlew assembleDebug If the build fails, analyze the error output and fix the issues. Common integration build failures include: Unresolved reference: Missing import statements — add the required import com.auth0.android.* imports Cannot resolve symbol R.string.com_auth0_scheme: strings.xml not updated — verify com_auth0_scheme, com_auth0_client_id, and com_auth0_domain entries exist Incompatible types in callback: Callback type parameters don't match — ensure Callback<Credentials, AuthenticationException> for login and Callback<Void?, AuthenticationException> for logout Unresolved lifecycleScope: Missing dependency — add implementation 'androidx.lifecycle:lifecycle-runtime-ktx:2.6.+' or move code out of coroutine scope minSdk too low: SDK requires API 21+ — update minSdkVersion to at least 21 Java version mismatch: SDK requires Java 8 — add compileOptions with JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8 Re-run the build after each fix. Track the number of build-fix iterations. Failcheck: If the build still fails after 5–6 fix attempts, stop and ask the user: Question: "The build is still failing after several fix attempts. How would you like to proceed?" Options: "Let the agent continue fixing iteratively" / "I'll fix it manually — show me the errors" / "Skip build verification and proceed" Repeat this check after every 5–6 iterations if errors persist. Do not leave the project in a non-compiling state without the user's explicit consent. The callback URL must match your Auth0 application settings: {SCHEME}://{YOUR_AUTH0_DOMAIN}/android/{YOUR_APP_PACKAGE_NAME}/callback
Detailed Documentation
- Setup Guide — Install SDK, configure Auth0 application, set up callback URLs, Android App Links, custom schemes, ProGuard/R8
- Integration Patterns — Web Auth login/logout, credential storage, biometric authentication, database login, passwordless authentication, MFA handling, custom tabs, error handling
- Testing & Reference — Testing checklist, common issues, security considerations, API reference
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|
| App type not set to Native in Auth0 Dashboard | Create a Native application type in your Auth0 tenant. The Android SDK requires Native app configuration, not Machine-to-Machine or other types. |
| Missing callback URL in Allowed Callback URLs | Add {SCHEME}://{YOUR_AUTH0_DOMAIN}/android/{YOUR_APP_PACKAGE_NAME}/callback to your Auth0 application's Allowed Callback URLs setting, where {SCHEME} matches com_auth0_scheme in strings.xml (e.g., demo by default). |
Missing <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" /> | Add the INTERNET permission to AndroidManifest.xml. The SDK requires network access for authentication. |
| Custom scheme in lowercase | Android requires scheme names to be lowercase. Use https (recommended) or lowercase custom scheme like myapp://callback. |
Forgetting .validateClaims() on direct auth calls | Always call .validateClaims() when using AuthenticationAPIClient directly (for database, passwordless, or API login). Web Auth validates automatically. |
| Storing tokens in SharedPreferences without encryption | Use SecureCredentialsManager to store credentials. Never store tokens manually in plain text. The manager encrypts tokens at rest. |
| Missing manifest placeholders | Add manifestPlaceholders = [auth0Domain: "@string/com_auth0_domain", auth0Scheme: "@string/com_auth0_scheme"] to your build.gradle defaultConfig block. |
Related Skills
Quick Reference
Core Classes
| Class | Purpose |
|---|
Auth0 | Entry point for SDK, holds app credentials |
WebAuthProvider | OAuth 2.0 login/logout via browser |
AuthenticationAPIClient | Direct API calls (database login, passwordless, MFA) |
SecureCredentialsManager | Secure storage and retrieval of credentials |
Credentials | User tokens and expiration |
Common Use Cases
References
