It is important that we begin the discussion with the Android SDK. The Android Software Development Kit (SDK) helps developers build, test, and debug applications to run on Android. It includes software libraries, APIs, emulator, reference material, and many other tools. These tools not only help create Android applications but also provide documentation and utilities that help significantly in forensic analysis of Android devices. Having sound knowledge of the Android SDK can help you understand the particulars of a device. This, in turn, will help you during an investigation.

During forensic examination, the SDK helps us connect the device and access the data present on the device. The SDK is supported in most of environments, including Windows, Linux, and OS X. It can be downloaded for free from http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html.