How to run android app in release not in debug?

Test a release build

1. open Build Variants

2. set debug to release

3. Build and Run

For gray screen Once you have got the release SHA set in dev console

• This is main reason that I forget most of the time

You have two google_maps_api.xml files

One in this folder:

app/src/debug/res/values

Other in this folder:

app/src/release/res/values

But only the debug one contains your API key probably.

You can use gradle tasks to run a release build on emulator.

Default task name is installRelease

just start emulator and fire below command from terminal

./gradlew installRelease

this will install release build into emulator.