How to Install Flutter and Dart Plugins in Android Studio (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

Dart Plugin

Android Studio is a powerful IDE (Integrated Development Environment) built on IntelliJ, optimized for Android and Flutter development. To build Flutter apps in Android Studio, you need to install two plugins:

  • The Flutter plugin: for Flutter project creation, emulator integration, hot reload, etc.
  • The Dart plugin: for Dart language support (used by Flutter).

This guide will walk you through:

🛠 Prerequisites

Before we begin:

  1. Download and install Android Studio
  2. Install Flutter SDK
  3. Set your Flutter environment variable: export PATH="$PATH:/path-to-flutter/bin" Add the above line to your .bashrc, .zshrc, or .profile to make it permanent.

📦 Step 1: Open Android Studio Plugin Manager

  1. Launch Android Studio
  2. Go to the top menu:
    File → Settings → Plugins (or on macOS: Android Studio → Preferences → Plugins)
  3. Click on the Marketplace tab

🔍 Step 2: Install Flutter Plugin

  1. In the Marketplace, search for Flutter
  2. Click Install
  3. It will prompt to install the Dart plugin (required)
  4. Confirm and click Install All

After installation, click Restart IDE to apply changes.

Explanation:
The Flutter plugin integrates the Flutter SDK into Android Studio, providing tools like hot reload, project templates, device management, and Flutter-specific UI builders.

✅ Step 3: Verify Plugin Installation

  1. Open Android Studio → New Project
  2. You should now see Flutter as one of the project options
  3. Alternatively, go to File → New → New Flutter Project

If it’s visible, the plugin is installed successfully.

🏗️ Step 4: Configure Flutter SDK Path

When creating a new Flutter project, Android Studio will ask you for the Flutter SDK path.

Set it to the directory where you extracted or cloned Flutter:

/path-to-your/flutter

Example:
/home/yourname/development/flutter on Linux
C:\src\flutter on Windows

This path is stored in Android Studio for future use.

🚀 Step 5: Create a New Flutter Project

  1. Go to File → New → New Flutter Project
  2. Choose Flutter Application
  3. Enter:
    • Project name (e.g., flutter_demo)
    • Project location
    • Flutter SDK path (if not auto-filled)
    • Description
  4. Click Next
  5. Choose a project package name like com.example.flutterdemo
  6. Click Finish

Android Studio will now generate your Flutter project.

🧪 Step 6: Run Your First Flutter App

  1. Make sure a device (emulator or physical) is connected
  2. Click the green run button (▶️) or use: flutter run

You’ll see a demo counter app appear on the device.

🧹 Optional: Check Plugin Versions via Terminal

To verify your installation, open a terminal and run:

flutter doctor

Sample Output:

[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 3.x.x)
[✓] Android toolchain
[✓] Android Studio (installed)
[✓] Connected device

If Flutter and Dart plugins are installed correctly, Flutter Doctor will show green ticks.

Installing Flutter and Dart plugins in Android Studio is the first step to building beautiful cross-platform apps. With Android Studio, you benefit from:

  • Built-in emulator
  • Hot reload support
  • Debugging and profiling tools
  • IntelliSense and smart code completion for Dart

This setup works seamlessly for both Android and iOS development (when Xcode is installed on macOS).

Did this guide help you set up Flutter and Dart in Android Studio?
Share your first app or any setup issues in the comments—we’re happy to help! 👇

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