Get Started

Integrating the Google Mobile Ads SDK into an app is the first step toward displaying ads and earning revenue. Once you've integrated the SDK, you can choose an ad format (such as native or rewarded video) and follow the steps to implement it.

Before you begin

To prepare your app, complete the steps in the following sections.

App prerequisites

  • Make sure that your app's build file uses the following values:

    • Minimum SDK version of 21 or higher
    • Compile SDK version of 34 or higher

Configure your app

  1. In your Gradle settings file, include the Google's Maven repository and Maven central repository:

    Kotlin

    pluginManagement {
  repositories {
    google()
    mavenCentral()
    gradlePluginPortal()
  }
}

dependencyResolutionManagement {
  repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.FAIL_ON_PROJECT_REPOS)
  repositories {
    google()
    mavenCentral()
  }
}

rootProject.name = "My Application"
include(":app")

    Groovy

    pluginManagement {
  repositories {
    google()
    mavenCentral()
    gradlePluginPortal()
  }
}

dependencyResolutionManagement {
  repositoriesMode.set(RepositoriesMode.FAIL_ON_PROJECT_REPOS)
  repositories {
    google()
    mavenCentral()
  }
}

rootProject.name = "My Application"
include ':app'

  2. Add the dependencies for the Google Mobile Ads SDK to your app-level build file:

    Kotlin

    dependencies {
  implementation("com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:23.6.0")
}

    Groovy

    dependencies {
  implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:23.6.0'
}

  3. Add your Ad Manager app ID, as identified in the Ad Manager web interface, to your app's AndroidManifest.xml file. To do so, add a <meta-data> tag with android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID". You can find your app ID in the Ad Manager web interface. For android:value, insert your own Ad Manager app ID, surrounded by quotation marks.

    <manifest>
  <application>
    <!-- Sample Ad Manager app ID: ca-app-pub-3940256099942544~3347511713 -->
    <meta-data
        android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID"
        android:value="
/<network_code>~<application_id>"/>
  </application>
</manifest>

    In a real app, replace the sample app ID with your actual Ad Manager app ID. You can use the sample ID if you're just experimenting with the SDK in a Hello World app.

    Also, note that failure to add the <meta-data> tag exactly as shown results in a crash with the message:

    Missing application ID.

    (Optional) Declare AD_ID permission for previous versions to work with Android 13.

    If your app uses the Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.4.0 or higher, you can skip this step since the SDK automatically declares the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission and is able to access the Advertising ID whenever it's available.

    For apps that use the Google Mobile Ads SDK version 20.3.0 or lower and are targeting Android 13, you must add the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission in the AndroidManifest.xml file for the Google Mobile Ads SDK to access the Advertising ID:

    <manifest>
 <application>
   <meta-data
       android:name="com.google.android.gms.ads.APPLICATION_ID"
       android:value="ca-app-pub-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx~yyyyyyyyyy"/>

   <!-- For apps targeting Android 13 or higher & GMA SDK version 20.3.0 or lower -->
   <uses-permission android:name="com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID"/>

 </application>
</manifest>

    To learn more about the com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID permission declaration, including how to disable it, refer to this Play Console article.

Initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK

Before loading ads, initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK by calling MobileAds.initialize().

This method initializes the SDK and calls a completion listener once both the Google Mobile Ads SDK and adapter initializations have completed, or after a 30-second timeout. This needs to be done only once, ideally at app launch.

Ads may be preloaded by the Google Mobile Ads SDK or mediation partner SDKs upon initialization. If you need to obtain consent from users in the European Economic Area (EEA), set any request-specific flags, such as setTagForChildDirectedTreatment() or setTagForUnderAgeOfConsent(), or otherwise take action before loading ads, ensure you do so before initializing the Google Mobile Ads SDK.

Here's an example of how to call the initialize() method on a background thread within an Activity:

Java

import com.google.android.gms.ads.MobileAds;
import com.google.android.gms.ads.initialization.InitializationStatus;
import com.google.android.gms.ads.initialization.OnInitializationCompleteListener;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
  protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

    new Thread(
            () -> {
              // Initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK on a background thread.
              MobileAds.initialize(this, initializationStatus -> {});
            })
        .start();
  }
}

Kotlin

import com.google.android.gms.ads.MobileAds
import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
import kotlinx.coroutines.launch

class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
  override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)

    val backgroundScope = CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.IO)
    backgroundScope.launch {
      // Initialize the Google Mobile Ads SDK on a background thread.
      MobileAds.initialize(this@MainActivity) {}
    }
  }
}

Select an ad format

The Google Mobile Ads SDK is now imported and you're ready to implement an ad. Ad Manager offers a number of different ad formats, so you can choose the one that best fits your app's user experience.

Banner ad units display rectangular ads that occupy a portion of an app's layout. They can refresh automatically after a set period of time. This means users view a new ad at regular intervals, even if they stay on the same screen in your app. They're also the simplest ad format to implement.

Implement banner ads

Interstitial

Interstitial ad units show full-page ads in your app. Place them at natural breaks and transitions in your app's interface, such as after level completion in a gaming app.

Implement interstitial ads

Native

Native ads are ads where you can customize the way assets such as headlines and calls to action are presented in your apps. By styling the ad yourself, you can create a natural, unobtrusive ad presentations that can add to a rich user experience.

Google Ad Manager offers two ways to implement native ads: native styles and standard native ads through custom rendering.

Native styles has been designed to simplify the implementation of native ads, and it's a great choice if you are new to the format. Custom rendering has been designed to maximize the freedom you have in creating your presentations.

Implement native styles Implement native ads (custom rendering)

Rewarded

Rewarded ad units enable users to play games, take surveys, or watch videos to earn in-app rewards, such as coins, extra lives, or points. You can set different rewards for different ad units, and specify the reward values and items the user received.

Implement rewarded ads

Rewarded interstitial

Rewarded interstitial is a new type of incentivized ad format that lets you offer rewards, such as coins or extra lives, for ads that appear automatically during natural app transitions.

Unlike rewarded ads, users aren't required to opt in to view a rewarded interstitial.

Instead of the opt-in prompt in rewarded ads, rewarded interstitials require an intro screen that announces the reward and gives users a chance to opt out if they want to do so.

Implement rewarded interstitial ads

App open

App open is an ad format that appears when users open or switch back to your app. The ad overlays the loading screen.

Implement app open ads

Additional resources

The Google Mobile Ads repository on GitHub demonstrates how to use the different ad formats that this API offers.