Is it safe to delete the whole .android/avd folder?

Yes, but it removes every emulator and everything inside them. Android Studio can create new ones at any time.

Why won't Android Studio delete my emulator?

It's usually still running, or a crashed emulator left lock files behind. Close it (or end the qemu process), then delete again.

Does deleting an AVD delete its system image?

No. The image stays in the SDK's system-images folder until you uninstall it in SDK Manager or with sdkmanager --uninstall.

What's the difference between Wipe Data and Delete?

Wipe Data resets the emulator to a fresh device but keeps it. Delete removes the emulator and its files completely.

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Developer guide · Windows and Mac

How to delete an Android emulator (AVD) and get the space back

By Aqib Javed · Updated Oct 22, 2026

In Android Studio, open Device Manager, click the emulator's menu and choose Delete. From a terminal, run avdmanager delete avd -n <name>. Each emulator is a <name>.avd folder plus a <name>.ini file in ~/.android/avd (or wherever ANDROID_AVD_HOME points), and Google describes that folder as mostly very large disk images. Deleting the emulator leaves its system image in the SDK, so remove that too if nothing else uses it.

Where Android emulators live

macOS and Linux: ~/.android/avd/ in your home folder.
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.android\avd\, for example C:\Users\you\.android\avd\.
If the ANDROID_AVD_HOME environment variable is set, the emulators are there instead.
Each emulator is two items: a <name>.avd folder (its disks, snapshots and settings) and a <name>.ini file that points to it.

Delete it in Android Studio

Open Android Studio and choose View > Tool Windows > Device Manager.
Make sure the emulator isn't running. Stop it first if it is.
Click the emulator's menu (the three dots) and choose Delete, then confirm.
Want a fresh device instead of a deleted one? The same menu has Wipe Data, which keeps the emulator but resets its apps and settings.

Delete it from the command line

avdmanager ships with the Android SDK command-line tools, in cmdline-tools/latest/bin inside your SDK folder. List the emulators, then delete one by name:

avdmanager list avd
avdmanager delete avd -n Pixel_8_API_34

# keep the emulator, reset its data instead
emulator @Pixel_8_API_34 -wipe-data

Delete it by hand

With the emulator closed, delete both the <name>.avd folder and the <name>.ini file from the avd folder above. Leaving the .ini behind makes Android Studio list a broken device. A running emulator keeps lock files in its folder, so close it before deleting.

Remove the system image too

Deleting an emulator doesn't delete the Android system image it ran, which lives in the SDK's system-images folder and is often the bigger part. Check that no other emulator uses it (each emulator's config.ini names its image in image.sysdir.1), then remove it in Tools > SDK Manager > SDK Platforms with Show Package Details, or with sdkmanager:

sdkmanager --uninstall "system-images;android-34;google_apis;x86_64"

Doing it with Stackyard

Stackyard is a free, open-source app for Windows and Mac that lists every emulator with its size and when it was last started, and flags emulators whose system image is missing. From there you can start one, cold boot it, wipe its data, delete its snapshots or delete it. Removals go to the Trash or Recycle Bin, so they can be undone, and before you remove a system image it tells you how many emulators still use it.

Questions

Is it safe to delete the whole .android/avd folder?: Yes, but it removes every emulator and everything inside them. Android Studio can create new ones at any time.
Why won't Android Studio delete my emulator?: It's usually still running, or a crashed emulator left lock files behind. Close it (or end the qemu process), then delete again.
Does deleting an AVD delete its system image?: No. The image stays in the SDK's system-images folder until you uninstall it in SDK Manager or with sdkmanager --uninstall.
What's the difference between Wipe Data and Delete?: Wipe Data resets the emulator to a fresh device but keeps it. Delete removes the emulator and its files completely.