Learn to install the Tealium SDK for Android (Kotlin).

Requirements

• Android Studio
• Android SDK (Lollipop/5.0+ / API Level 21+)
• Tealium iQ Mobile Profile
• Tealium Customer Data Hub account

Sample Apps

Explore the Android (Kotlin) sample apps to further your knowledge of the Tealium library, tracking events, and best practice implementations.

Additionally, we recommend abstracting all the Tealium functionality in a central helper class. Explore our sample helper class.

Get the Code

Clone the Tealium Android library. Cloning the library, rather than downloading, makes it easier to update to future releases.

See the Tealium API for a complete listing of Tealium classes and methods for Android.

Install

The Tealium Kotlin library is divided into modules. To maintain the smallest installation size possible, we recommended that you only install the modules necessary to achieve the functionality you want.

Install the Tealium Kotlin library with Maven or manually.

Maven

To install Tealium for Android library with Maven (Recommended):

1. Add the Tealium Maven URL to your project’s top-level build.gradle file:

   allprojects {
    repositories {
    mavenCentral()
    maven {
    url "https://maven.tealiumiq.com/android/releases/"
    }
    }
   }
   

2. In your project module’s build.gradle file, add the following Maven dependency:

   dependencies {
    implementation 'com.tealium:kotlin-core:1.6.0'
   }
   

Manual

To install Tealium for Android library manually:

1. Add flatDir to your project root build.gradle file:

   allprojects {
    repositories {
    mavenCentral()
    flatDir {
    dirs 'libs'
    }
    }
   }
   

2. Add tealium-kotlin-1.5.x.aar to <PROJECT_ROOT>/<MODULE>/libs.

3. Add the Tealium library dependency to your build.gradle file:

   dependencies {
    implementation(name:'tealium-kotlin-1.6.0', ext:'aar')
   }
   

Initialize

To initialize Tealium, configure a TealiumConfig instance and pass it into a Tealium instance. It’s recommended to initialize the Tealium Kotlin library in the app’s global application class within the onCreate() method.

Manage your Tealium instance by using a tracking helper class, which provides a single point of entry for the Tealium Kotlin library and simplifies future upgrades.

object TealiumHelper {
 lateinit var tealium: Tealium
 fun init(application: Application) {
 val tealiumConfig = TealiumConfig(
 application,
 "ACCOUNT",
 "PROFILE",
 Environment.DEV,
 dataSourceId = "DATASOURCE_ID", //optional
 modules = mutableSetOf(VisitorService),
 dispatchers = mutableSetOf(Dispatchers.Collect)
 )
 tealium = Tealium.create("tealium_instance", tealiumConfig)
 }
}

Replace the following:

• ACCOUNT: your Tealium account name you want to use to initialize the library in lowercase.
• PROFILE: your Tealium profile name you want to use to initialize the library in lowercase.
• DATASOURCE_ID: your Tealium data source ID.

Dispatcher

To send your data to the Tealium ecosystem, select from the following dispatchers:

• Tag Management
  Add the TagManagement Dispatcher to use Tealium iQ Tag Management and make use of its tag management configuration logic.
• Collect
  Add the Collect Dispatcher to use the server-side solutions of the Tealium Customer Data Hub.

Log Level

Log level is set to the environment from the TealiumConfig instance.

To use a different log level, set the logLevel property:

config.logLevel = LogLevel.DEV // or LogLevel.QA, LogLevel.PROD

Cookies

Cookies are enabled by default in the webview.

Event Batching

Event Batching can be configured locally on the TealiumConfig instance, or remotely using the Mobile Publish Settings. Setting the batch size to a value greater than 1 will enable it. Events are dispatched when the number of events in the queue equals the batch size.

The following shows the possible options when configuring batching locally:

object TealiumHelper {
 private lateinit var tealium: Tealium
 fun init(app: Application) {
 config.overrideDefaultLibrarySettings = LibrarySettings(
 batching = Batching(
 batchSize = 10, // send in batches of 10 (default: 1)
 maxQueueSize = 1000, // maximum of 1000 queued events (default: 100)
 expiration = TimeUnit.DAYS // queue for a maxumum of 5 days (default: 86400)
 .toSeconds(5).toInt() 
 )
 )
 }
}

Migrate from Java

When migrating to the Kotlin library from the Java library, saved data is automatically migrated including:

• Consent Preferences
• Lifecycle data
• Persistent data * Custom persistent data added through the Persistent Data API * Tealium persistent data: app_uuid, tealium_visitor_id

After transfer to the Kotlin library is complete, legacy data from the Java library is deleted. Subsequently switching back to the Java library results in a new tealium_visitor_id and app_uuid generated, and loss of any custom persistent data.

Android Wear

For Android Wear apps, use the Collect module for data collection, as the Tag Management module is not supported since Android Wear OS does not provide webview support.

If you are developing an Android Wear app using Tealium for Android, Google recommends creating a standalone app.

Multiprocess Apps

Android 9+ Multiprocess Applications

Android 9 introduced a behavior change around WebView data directories in multiprocess applications. In this change, a WebView no longer shares a single data directory across multiple processes. Typically, you’ll want to have all your Activities that use a WebView in the same process.

If you use the Tag Management module and implement additional instances of WebView, we recommend calling WebView.setDataDirectorySuffix() before creating the Tealium instance to prevent the app from crashing.

If you need to access cookies and web data from the Tag Management module, copy it between processes using the CookieManager.getCookie() and CookieManager.setCookie() methods.

To learn more, see Web-based data directories separated by process.

This page was last updated: September 5, 2025