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UE5 Android APK Build Guide (MetaHuman Variant)

This page documents the full Android APK build workflow used for the MetaHuman / Lip Sync / Meta XR version of the project. Unlike the standard Android build path, this version required additional Android setup, plugin configuration, project setting changes, Meta XR validation, and repeated cleanup/rebuild attempts before a successful APK + OBB build was produced.

This guide is ordered from the initial Android setup through the MetaHuman-specific changes and finally the cook / package / install workflow.

Overview

This workflow was used to build the MetaHuman-enabled Android APK version of the project for direct installation onto Meta Quest hardware. Compared to the standard Android build flow, this version required:

  • Android support to be installed for UE 5.6
  • Android Studio and the correct SDK / NDK configuration
  • Turnkey setup / verification
  • additional Android project settings
  • Meta XR project setup validation
  • stricter plugin configuration
  • repeated cleanup between failed package attempts

This build path also preserves a separate OBB file instead of packaging all game data inside the APK.

Part 1: Install Android Support for Unreal Engine 5.6

Before opening the project in Unreal Engine, make sure Android support is installed for the engine version being used.

Steps

  1. Open Epic Games Launcher.
  2. Go to Library.
  3. Find Unreal Engine 5.6.
  4. Click the dropdown / options menu for that engine version.
  5. Open Options.
  6. Make sure Android is checked under Target Platforms.
  7. Apply the changes if needed.

Part 2: Install Android Studio

Install the Android Studio version referenced in Epic’s UE 5.6 Android setup documentation:

  • Android Studio Koala Feature Drop | 2024.1.2 Patch 1
  • September 17, 2024

This is the version Epic explicitly calls out in the advanced Android SDK setup guide.

Part 3: Install Android SDK / NDK Components

After installing Android Studio:

  1. Open Android Studio.
  2. Open SDK Manager.
  3. Install the required Android SDK components.
  4. Install the required Android command-line tools.

  5. Install the NDK version used by this project:

  6. NDK 26.1.10909125

This MetaHuman build specifically used NDK 26.1.10909125.

Part 4: Run Turnkey / Verify Android Setup in Unreal

Epic’s recommended UE 5.6 workflow is to use Unreal’s Android setup / Turnkey flow first.

Steps

  1. Open the project in Unreal Engine 5.6.
  2. Go to Platforms → Android.
  3. If available, run the Android setup / install flow from Unreal.
  4. Let Unreal verify or install the Android dependencies it can manage automatically.

If the project still has Android toolchain issues after this, continue with the manual verification and troubleshooting steps below.

Part 5: Update SDK / NDK / Java Paths

Once Android Studio and the correct NDK are installed, update the SDK / NDK paths both on the machine and in Unreal.

Environment / System Paths

Update the relevant environment variable paths on the machine so they point to the correct Android SDK / NDK locations.

Unreal Engine Paths

Go to:

Platforms → Android SDK

and confirm the paths point to the correct installed locations.

This build specifically required updating the paths so they pointed to:

  • the correct Android SDK
  • NDK 26.1.10909125
  • the correct Java location

Part 6: Configure Android in the Project

Go to:

Project Settings → Platforms → Android

If a red banner appears saying the project is not configured for Android:

  • click Configure Now

This must be completed before continuing.

Part 7: Configure Android Project Settings

Go to:

Project Settings → Platforms → Android

Apply the following settings.

SDK Version Settings

  • Set Minimum SDK Version to 31
  • Set Target SDK Version to 34

APK / OBB Settings

  • Turn off Package game data inside .apk
  • this preserves a separate .obb file
  • Leave these enabled:
  • Allow large OBB files
  • Allow patch OBB file
  • Allow overflow OBB files

Texture Format Settings

Under Multi Texture Format:

  • disable ETC2
  • disable DXT
  • leave only ASTC enabled

Build Architecture Settings

Under Build:

  • enable Support arm64 [aka arm64-v8a]
  • disable Support x86_64 [aka x64]

Android Permission Settings

Make sure the following are enabled exactly:

  • android.permission.INTERNET
  • android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO
  • Add permissions to support Voice chat (RECORD_AUDIO)
  • Request permission at startup for Voice chat (RECORD_AUDIO)

Part 8: Configure Packaging Settings

Go to:

Project Settings → Project → Packaging

Make sure:

  • Create compressed cooked packages is enabled

Part 9: Configure Meta XR Project Settings

Go to:

Project Settings → Meta XR

Then:

  1. Run MetaXR Project Setup Tool
  2. Click Apply All for all rules

This step was required for the Meta XR portion of the project configuration.

Part 10: Configure Plugins for the MetaHuman Variant

This build required a more restrictive plugin setup than the standard Android workflow.

Meta XR Plugin

Place the MetaXR plugin in:

Engine/Plugins/Marketplace

and remove it from the project plugins folder if it exists there.

MetaHuman Plugins

Disable all MetaHuman plugins except:

  • MetaHuman Creator
  • MetaHuman SDK
  • MetaHuman Core Tech
  • MetaHuman Animator

This reduced conflicts and matched the final working MetaHuman APK configuration.

Part 11: MetaHuman-Specific Build Notes

Compared to the standard Android build workflow, this MetaHuman version required:

  • the correct NDK version
  • more careful plugin selection
  • Meta XR rule validation
  • ASTC-only texture output
  • separate OBB packaging
  • more cleanup and retry cycles after failed package attempts

Part 12: Cook the Project First

Before attempting a full package, do a clean Android cook first.

Go to:

Platforms → Android

Then run Cook Project.

Goal

The goal is to get a clean cook before attempting a full package.

What to Fix

During the cook:

  • resolve red errors
  • warnings can usually be left alone unless they are clearly blocking packaging

Part 13: Package the Project

Once the cook is clean:

  1. Go to Platforms → Android
  2. Run Package Project

Part 14: If Packaging Still Fails After a Clean Cook

Even if the cook completed successfully, packaging may still surface additional cook/package errors.

If that happens:

  1. Resolve the new blocking errors.
  2. Close Unreal Engine.
  3. Delete:
  4. DerivedDataCache
  5. Saved/StagedBuilds
  6. Intermediate/Android
  7. Open Visual Studio.
  8. Build the project in Visual Studio.
  9. Launch Unreal Engine from Visual Studio once the build completes.
  10. Try packaging again.

This process may need to be repeated multiple times.

Part 15: Reality of the MetaHuman Android Build Process

This build process was not consistently one-pass successful. In practice, it often required:

  • fixing one group of errors
  • cleaning intermediate folders
  • rebuilding
  • reopening in Visual Studio
  • trying again

In other words:

  1. Fix the blocking errors
  2. Clean the Android / intermediate output
  3. Rebuild
  4. Try again
  5. Cross your fingers

Part 16: Successful Output

When successful, the build produced:

  • main Android APK
  • separate OBB file
  • Unreal-generated install script

Because Package game data inside .apk was disabled, the build preserved a separate .obb file rather than forcing everything into the APK.

Part 17: Installing the Successful Build to the Headset

After the MetaHuman Android build succeeded, the APK was installed using the generated Unreal install script rather than SideQuest.

Method Used

Run the generated file from the packaged Android output folder:

  • Install_FSE100Capstone-Android-Shipping-arm64.bat

Why This Was Useful

This method handled:

  • APK installation
  • OBB placement
  • direct headset installation over USB

Requirements

For the install script to work:

  • the headset must be connected to the PC by USB
  • Developer Mode must already be enabled
  • the USB prompts inside the headset must be accepted, including:
  • USB data access
  • USB debugging
  1. Install Android support for UE 5.6 through Epic Games Launcher
  2. Install Android Studio Koala Feature Drop | 2024.1.2 Patch 1
  3. Install the required Android SDK components
  4. Install NDK 26.1.10909125
  5. Run Unreal’s Android setup / Turnkey flow first
  6. Update machine environment paths and Unreal Android SDK paths
  7. Open the project and configure Android if the red banner appears
  8. Configure Android settings:
  9. separate OBB
  10. ASTC only
  11. Min SDK 31
  12. Target SDK 34
  13. arm64 only
  14. required audio / internet permissions
  15. Enable compressed cooked packages
  16. Move MetaXR plugin to Engine/Plugins/Marketplace
  17. Disable all unnecessary MetaHuman plugins
  18. Run MetaXR Project Setup Tool and apply all rules
  19. Cook Android first
  20. Resolve blocking cook errors
  21. Package Android
  22. If packaging still fails:
  23. close Unreal
  24. delete DerivedDataCache
  25. delete Saved/StagedBuilds
  26. delete Intermediate/Android
  27. rebuild in Visual Studio
  28. reopen from Visual Studio
  29. try again
  30. Once successful, use the generated Install .bat file to install to the headset

Notes

This MetaHuman Android build flow should be treated as a troubleshooting-heavy workflow rather than a guaranteed one-pass packaging path. The baseline Android environment must be configured first, and the MetaHuman-specific changes should then be layered on top of that setup.