diff --git a/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/index.ts b/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/index.ts
index 5160286f10..d9cc6c1b07 100644
--- a/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/index.ts
+++ b/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/index.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ const COMMANDS = [
   require('./publish-modify'),
   require('./push-creds'),
   require('./register'),
+  require('./run'),
   require('./send'),
   require('./start'),
   require('./upgrade'),
diff --git a/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/run/buildAndroidClientAsync.ts b/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/run/buildAndroidClientAsync.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e35b420081
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/run/buildAndroidClientAsync.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { AndroidConfig } from '@expo/config-plugins';
+import spawnAsync from '@expo/spawn-async';
+import { Android } from '@expo/xdl';
+import ora from 'ora';
+import path from 'path';
+
+import Log from '../../log';
+import { prebuildAsync } from '../eject/prebuildAsync';
+
+type Options = {
+  buildVariant: string;
+};
+
+function capitalize(name: string) {
+  return name.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + name.slice(1);
+}
+
+function getGradleTask(buildVariant: string): string {
+  return `install${capitalize(buildVariant)}`;
+}
+
+export default async function buildAndroidClientAsync(
+  projectRoot: string,
+  options: Options
+): Promise<void> {
+  const devices = await Android.getAllAvailableDevicesAsync();
+  const device = devices.length > 1 ? await Android.promptForDeviceAsync(devices) : devices[0];
+  if (!device) {
+    return;
+  }
+  const bootedDevice = await Android.attemptToStartEmulatorOrAssertAsync(device);
+  if (!bootedDevice) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  Log.log('Building app...');
+
+  let androidProjectPath;
+  try {
+    androidProjectPath = await AndroidConfig.Paths.getProjectPathOrThrowAsync(projectRoot);
+  } catch {
+    // If the project doesn't have native code, prebuild it...
+    await prebuildAsync(projectRoot, {
+      install: true,
+      platforms: ['android'],
+    });
+    androidProjectPath = await AndroidConfig.Paths.getProjectPathOrThrowAsync(projectRoot);
+  }
+
+  const gradlew = path.join(
+    androidProjectPath,
+    process.platform === 'win32' ? 'gradlew.bat' : 'gradlew'
+  );
+
+  await spawnAsync(gradlew, [getGradleTask(options.buildVariant)], {
+    cwd: androidProjectPath,
+    stdio: 'inherit',
+  });
+
+  const spinner = ora('Starting the development client...').start();
+  try {
+    await Android.openProjectAsync({
+      projectRoot,
+      shouldPrompt: false,
+      devClient: true,
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    spinner.fail();
+    throw error;
+  }
+
+  spinner.succeed();
+}
diff --git a/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/run/index.ts b/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/run/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..def447f43c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/expo-cli/src/commands/run/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { Command } from 'commander';
+
+import CommandError from '../../CommandError';
+import buildAndroidClientAsync from './buildAndroidClientAsync';
+
+type Options = {
+  platform?: string;
+  buildVariant?: string;
+};
+
+async function runAndroidAsync(projectRoot: string, options: Options) {
+  if (typeof options.buildVariant !== 'string') {
+    throw new CommandError('--build-variant must be a string');
+  }
+  await buildAndroidClientAsync(projectRoot, {
+    buildVariant: options.buildVariant,
+  });
+}
+
+export default function (program: Command) {
+  program
+    .command('run:android [path]')
+    .helpGroup('experimental')
+    .description('Build a development client and run it in on a device.')
+    .option('--build-variant [name]', '(Android) build variant', 'release')
+    .asyncActionProjectDir(runAndroidAsync);
+}
diff --git a/packages/xdl/src/Android.ts b/packages/xdl/src/Android.ts
index 37e657a6f3..d750d45218 100644
--- a/packages/xdl/src/Android.ts
+++ b/packages/xdl/src/Android.ts
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ async function _openUrlAsync({
   return openProject;
 }
 
-async function attemptToStartEmulatorOrAssertAsync(device: Device): Promise<Device | null> {
+export async function attemptToStartEmulatorOrAssertAsync(device: Device): Promise<Device | null> {
   // TODO: Add a light-weight method for checking since a device could disconnect.
 
   if (!(await isDeviceBootedAsync(device))) {
@@ -995,7 +995,7 @@ function nameStyleForDevice(device: Device) {
   return (text: string) => chalk.bold(chalk.gray(text));
 }
 
-async function promptForDeviceAsync(devices: Device[]): Promise<Device | null> {
+export async function promptForDeviceAsync(devices: Device[]): Promise<Device | null> {
   // TODO: provide an option to add or download more simulators
 
   // Pause interactions on the TerminalUI