Understand Your Project Requirements First

Before you start evaluating candidates, get absolute clarity on what you are building. The more specific you are, the easier it becomes to identify the developer who can actually deliver what you need.

Start by outlining the core purpose of your app. Are you building a simple MVP, a feature-heavy consumer app, a fintech product, or something that needs complex third-party integrations? Each type of project requires a different level of experience and a different set of Android skills.

List the features you want, the user flows you expect, and any technical constraints that matter. For example, if your app needs real-time updates, you will need someone familiar with Kotlin Coroutines or RxJava. If security is a priority, you will need a developer who understands encryption, secure storage, and Android best practices. If performance is crucial, you should look for experience with profiling tools and optimization techniques.

Defining these details helps you filter candidates based on real needs. Instead of looking at general experience, you focus on skills that directly impact your project. This clarity saves time, reduces misalignment, and sets the foundation for evaluating developers with confidence.

Look for Strong Core Android Skills

After defining your project needs, check whether a developer has the technical foundation required to build a reliable Android app. Focus on the essentials instead of generic skill lists.

Key skills to look for:

  • Kotlin proficiency
    Kotlin is now the standard for Android, so candidates should be fully comfortable with it.

  • Solid command of Android components
    Activities, Fragments, Services, Broadcast Receivers, Content Providers.

  • Experience with Android Jetpack
    Look for hands-on use of ViewModel, LiveData, Room, WorkManager, and Navigation.

  • Knowledge of modern architecture patterns
    MVVM, MVI, or Clean Architecture adds structure and long-term maintainability.

  • Performance awareness
    Ask how they optimize battery usage, memory consumption, and load times.

Developers who are strong in these fundamentals can adapt to any project complexity and build apps that scale.

Evaluate Their Experience With Real-World Projects

A developer’s portfolio tells you far more than a resume. Instead of focusing on the number of years they’ve worked, look at the impact and quality of their past projects.

What to check:

  • Types of apps they’ve built
    Social apps, fintech, e-commerce, on-demand services, enterprise applications.
    This helps you see if they’ve solved problems similar to yours.

  • Complexity of features
    Authentication, payment gateways, maps, chat, offline mode, push notifications, real-time updates.

  • Code quality indicators
    Clean structure, modular code, proper use of patterns, and readable naming conventions.

  • Performance metrics (if available)
    App rating, crash-free sessions, load time, or growth after release.

  • Store presence or GitHub activity
    Published apps or active repositories show consistency and real-world delivery.

A strong portfolio will demonstrate problem-solving skills, technical depth, and the ability to ship complete, stable apps.

Test Their Technical Skills the Right Way

A strong Android developer should be able to demonstrate real, applicable technical skills. Instead of relying on theoretical quizzes, evaluate them with tests that reflect your actual project needs.

What to assess:

  • Core Android fundamentals
    Activities, fragments, view models, services, broadcast receivers, and lifecycle management.

  • Kotlin proficiency
    Coroutines, extensions, sealed classes, flows, and modern Kotlin coding practices.

  • Architecture knowledge
    Look for experience with MVVM, Clean Architecture, or MVI. This is crucial for building scalable and maintainable apps.

  • API handling
    Ability to integrate REST APIs, use Retrofit, handle errors, manage caching, and work with pagination.

  • Database and storage
    Experience with Room, SQLite, DataStore, and efficient local storage strategies.

  • UI and UX implementation
    Material Design guidelines, Jetpack Compose, smooth animations, accessibility considerations.

  • Testing skills
    Unit tests, UI tests, integration tests, and familiarity with tools like JUnit, Espresso, or MockK.

  • Debugging and optimization
    Identifying memory leaks, improving performance, and optimizing battery and network usage.

Ways to assess their skills:

  • A short take-home assignment aligned with your app requirements

  • A live coding session focused on problem solving

  • Reviewing their past code samples or GitHub contributions

This approach helps you understand how they think, how they write code, and how well they can handle the technical challenges in your project.

Review Their Past Work and Real Project Experience

A developer’s previous work often reveals more than any interview. Instead of relying on claims, evaluate what they’ve actually built and how closely it aligns with your project.

What to look for:

  • Live apps on the Play Store
    Check app ratings, reviews, update frequency, loading speed, and overall stability.

  • Portfolio or GitHub repositories
    Look for clean code, meaningful commit history, use of modern Android patterns, and contribution quality.

  • Projects similar to yours
    If you’re building an e-commerce, fintech, or on-demand app, see whether they’ve solved similar challenges before.

  • Problem-solving examples
    Ask what their toughest bug or performance issue was and how they fixed it.

  • Team vs. solo responsibilities
    Clarify which parts of the app they directly handled to avoid overestimated experience.

Why this matters:

Developers who have shipped real apps understand edge cases, performance bottlenecks, analytics, crash management, and user behavior. This experience often translates into faster delivery and fewer mistakes during your development cycle.

Evaluate Their Communication and Collaboration Skills

Even the most skilled Android developer can slow down a project if communication is weak. Since most development involves teamwork, cross-functional coordination, and constant iteration, the ability to communicate clearly is just as important as writing good code.

What to assess:

  • Clarity in explaining technical decisions
    Can they explain why they chose a particular architecture, library, or approach?

  • Responsiveness and reliability
    How quickly do they reply? Do they meet deadlines? Do they raise red flags early?

  • Ability to translate tech into simple language
    This helps when discussing features with product managers, designers, or founders.

  • Experience working in remote or distributed teams
    Ask how they manage async communication, documentation, and task ownership.

  • Comfort with collaboration tools
    Jira, Trello, Slack, GitHub, Figma, or any tools relevant to your workflow.

Red flags to watch for:

  • Overly vague explanations

  • Difficulty articulating thought process

  • Poor documentation habits

  • Defensive responses to feedback

A developer who communicates well helps prevent misunderstandings, reduces back-and-forth revisions, and accelerates the entire development cycle.

Assess Their Problem-Solving and Debugging Approach

Great Android developers aren’t just strong coders. They’re strong problem-solvers who know how to debug issues quickly, think logically, and make decisions that keep your app stable and scalable.

What to look for:

  • Structured problem-solving
    Can they break down a complex issue into smaller parts and propose clear steps to resolve it?

  • Debugging skills
    Look for experience using Android Studio tools such as Logcat, LeakCanary, Profiler, and Crashlytics.

  • Real-world scenarios
    Ask how they solved performance issues, memory leaks, ANRs, or crashes in past projects.

  • Handling edge cases
    Good developers anticipate failures related to network issues, offline mode, device variations, and version fragmentation.

  • Logical thinking
    Present a hypothetical bug and see how they would debug it.

Why this matters:

Android development is filled with unpredictable challenges including device diversity, OS fragmentation, and performance constraints. Developers with a strong debugging mindset reduce delays, prevent recurring bugs, and keep your app stable in production.

Check Their Understanding of Security Best Practices

Security is often overlooked in early-stage Android development, but it becomes crucial the moment your app handles user data, payments, authentication, or APIs. A skilled Android developer should know how to build secure features from day one.

What to look for:

  • Secure storage practices
    Knowledge of EncryptedSharedPreferences, Keystore, and secure handling of tokens.

  • API security
    Understanding of HTTPS, certificate pinning, secure headers, and preventing API misuse.

  • Code security awareness
    Avoiding hardcoded keys, sanitizing user inputs, and following OWASP Mobile Security guidelines.

  • Experience with authentication flows
    OAuth, JWT, multi-factor authentication, biometric login, and session management.

  • Handling sensitive permissions
    Ability to justify permissions, provide fallback flows, and comply with Play Store privacy requirements.

Why this matters:

A developer who prioritizes security prevents data leaks, protects your users, and keeps your app compliant with evolving Google Play policies. This saves you from costly fixes, revenue loss, and reputational damage.

Consider Their Fit for Your Long-Term Roadmap

A developer might be technically strong, but the real question is whether they fit your project’s vision and growth plans. Hiring someone who aligns with your roadmap saves you time, reduces turnover, and ensures consistent product quality.

What to look for:

  • Experience with projects at your scale
    Early-stage apps, enterprise platforms, high-traffic systems, or feature-heavy products each require different competencies.

  • Comfort with iterative development
    Android apps evolve constantly. Look for someone who thrives in environments where features expand and requirements shift.

  • Ownership mentality
    Developers who treat the product like their own contribute ideas, anticipate issues, and think beyond assigned tasks.

  • Willingness to collaborate with designers, QA, and product teams
    Long-term success comes from cross-functional alignment, not solo development.

  • Interest in ongoing maintenance
    Bug fixes, refactoring, version updates, and performance improvements require commitment beyond launch.

Why this matters:

A developer aligned with your long-term goals will build scalable foundations, make future-friendly decisions, and evolve with your product instead of outgrowing it.

Conclusion

Evaluating Android developers goes far beyond checking whether they can write Kotlin or build screens. A great hire understands the Android ecosystem, writes scalable code, communicates clearly, and aligns with your product’s long-term direction. By assessing technical depth, problem-solving ability, practical experience, and team fit, you set your project up for faster releases, fewer bugs, and a better user experience. Use this evaluation framework as a checklist to compare candidates objectively and select someone who can contribute from day one and grow with your product.

Frequently Asked Questions

What skills should I prioritize when evaluating Android developers?

Focus on core areas such as Kotlin expertise, Android architecture components, UI development, performance optimization, and debugging. Strong problem-solving ability and familiarity with clean architecture patterns are equally important.

How do I test an Android developer’s real-world capabilities?

A practical coding assignment or a small feature-building task works best. Look for clean code, modular structure, attention to edge cases, and proper use of Android frameworks.

Should Android developers know both Java and Kotlin?

Kotlin is now the primary language for Android, but understanding Java helps when maintaining legacy codebases or working with older libraries. A strong candidate should be comfortable in both.

How do I evaluate whether a developer writes scalable and maintainable code?

Ask candidates to walk you through past projects, review code samples, or request a short architecture explanation. Look for modular design, consistent naming, and separation of concerns.

How can Supersourcing help me hire Android developers?

Supersourcing pre-vets Android engineers using hands-on coding tests, architecture reviews, and behavioral evaluations. You get access to skilled developers who match your requirements, helping you hire faster and more confidently.