AppScreenSizer Developer Guide
GitHub Repository Setup, First Pull, and Future Updates
Reviewed August 13, 2026

This guide covers the three situations most independent developers run into:
1. You already have a project on your computer and want to create a GitHub repository for it.
2. The project already exists on GitHub and you are bringing it onto this computer for the first time.
3. The project is already on your computer and you only need the newest updates from GitHub.

Official links
Create a GitHub account: https://github.com/signup
Create a repository: https://github.com/new
Git: https://git-scm.com/downloads
GitHub Desktop: https://desktop.github.com/download/
GitHub repository docs: https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/creating-a-new-repository

BEFORE YOU START
Install Git and sign into GitHub. If Git asks you to identify yourself, run:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

PART 1 — CREATE A NEW GITHUB REPOSITORY FOR A PROJECT ALREADY ON YOUR COMPUTER
1. Sign into GitHub and choose New repository.
2. Give the repository a clear project name.
3. Choose Public or Private.
4. For an existing local project, it is usually simplest to leave the new repository empty at first. Do not add a README, license, or .gitignore during creation unless you know how to merge the two histories.
5. Copy the HTTPS repository URL.
6. Open Command Prompt, PowerShell, Terminal, Git Bash, or the Android Studio terminal inside the project folder.

Example Windows navigation:
cd "C:\Users\YourName\Projects\YourApp"

Initialize Git and create the first commit:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git branch -M main

Connect the local project to GitHub:

git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY.git
git remote -v
git push -u origin main

After that first push, the project on your computer and the GitHub repository are connected.

PART 2 — FIRST TIME BRINGING AN EXISTING GITHUB PROJECT ONTO A COMPUTER
This is the first-time pull workflow. In Git terminology, the normal first step is CLONE. Clone downloads the repository and connects the local copy to GitHub in one step.

Option A — Android Studio
1. Open the repository on GitHub.
2. Choose Code and copy the HTTPS URL.
3. Open Android Studio.
4. Choose Get from VCS or Project from Version Control.
5. Choose Git.
6. Paste the repository URL.
7. Choose where you want the project stored on your computer.
8. Select Clone.
9. Open the repository root. For Android projects this is usually the folder containing settings.gradle or settings.gradle.kts.
10. Allow Android Studio to finish Gradle sync and install any required SDK components.

Option B — Command line

git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY.git
cd YOUR-REPOSITORY

Then open that cloned folder in Android Studio or your editor.

PART 3 — UPDATE A PROJECT THAT IS ALREADY ON YOUR COMPUTER
Do not download or clone the repository again. Pull the newest changes into the existing local project.

1. Open the existing project.
2. Open Terminal in the project root.
3. Check whether you have local changes:

git status

4. Confirm the current branch:

git branch --show-current

5. If the working tree is clean and the branch is main, pull the newest version:

git pull origin main

6. In Android Studio, allow Gradle Sync to run if project files changed. You can also use File > Sync Project with Gradle Files.
7. Verify the newest commit:

git log -1 --oneline

IF YOU HAVE LOCAL CHANGES BEFORE PULLING
Do not blindly pull over unfinished work.

Option A — Commit your work first:

git add .
git commit -m "Save local work before update"
git pull origin main

Option B — Temporarily stash your work:

git stash push -m "local work before update"
git pull origin main
git stash pop

If Git reports a merge conflict, stop and review the conflicting files before continuing.

NORMAL WORKFLOW AFTER SETUP
Before starting work:

git status
git pull origin main

After making changes:

git status
git add .
git commit -m "Describe what changed"
git push origin main

GITHUB DESKTOP OPTION
1. Install GitHub Desktop and sign in.
2. To bring an existing GitHub project to the computer, choose File > Clone repository.
3. To connect an existing local Git project, choose File > Add Local Repository.
4. To publish a new local repository, choose Publish repository.
5. For later updates, use Fetch origin and Pull origin.

IMPORTANT SAFETY CHECKS
- Add a useful .gitignore before pushing build output, local settings, or secret files.
- Never commit passwords, API keys, private .env files, signing keystores, service-account files, or credentials.
- Use meaningful commit messages.
- Pull the latest changes before beginning work on another computer.
- Keep one project per repository unless you intentionally want a monorepo.
- Check the repository README for project-specific Gradle, JDK, Node, Expo, or SDK requirements before accepting automatic upgrades.

COMMON ERRORS
Repository not found:
Check the repository URL and confirm you are signed into an account that can access it.

Remote origin already exists:
Check the existing remote with:

git remote -v

If it already points to the correct repository, do not add it again.

Push rejected because the remote has changes:
Run git status, save your local work, pull the remote changes, review any conflicts, then push again.

Wrong branch name:
Check with:

git branch --show-current

If your project uses main, use main in your pull and push commands. If it uses another branch, substitute that branch name.

QUICK REFERENCE
First time from GitHub to computer:
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPOSITORY.git

Already on computer, get newest version:
git status
git pull origin main

Send your changes back to GitHub:
git add .
git commit -m "Describe what changed"
git push origin main

Official references
https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/creating-a-new-repository
https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/cloning-a-repository
https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/using-git/getting-changes-from-a-remote-repository
https://docs.github.com/en/migrations/importing-source-code/using-the-command-line-to-import-source-code/adding-locally-hosted-code-to-github