By Sply Code | May 6, 2025

Follow Us on

How to Build Your First Android App Using Flutter

Flutter has revolutionized mobile app development by enabling developers to build high-quality apps for both Android and iOS using a single codebase. If you're just getting started and want to create your first Android app, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to build and run your first Flutter project.

1. What Is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source UI software development toolkit created by Google. It uses the Dart programming language and provides a fast and expressive way to build native apps.

2. System Requirements

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A computer (Windows, macOS, or Linux)
• Flutter SDK installed
• Android Studio or VS Code
• Android Emulator or physical Android device

3. Setting Up Your Environment

1. Download and Install Flutter SDK: Visit flutter.dev and follow the instructions for your operating system.
2. Set Up an Editor: Use Android Studio or VS Code with the Flutter and Dart plugins installed.
3. Run flutter doctor: Open terminal and run:

   flutter doctor

   This checks for any missing dependencies.

4. Creating a New Flutter Project

Run this command in your terminal:

flutter create my_first_app
cd my_first_app

This creates a new Flutter project with a demo counter app.

5. Understanding the Project Structure

• lib/main.dart: Main file where your app starts.
• pubspec.yaml: Manages app dependencies and assets.
• android/: Contains Android-specific code.
• ios/: Contains iOS-specific code (you can ignore this if you're focusing on Android).

6. Writing Your First App UI

Open lib/main.dart and replace the code with:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

void main() => runApp(MyApp());

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(title: Text('My First Flutter App')),
        body: Center(child: Text('Hello, Flutter!')),
      ),
    );
  }
}

This will display a basic screen with a message.

7. Running the App on Android

1. Open Android Emulator or connect your Android device via USB.
2. In your terminal, run:

   flutter run

   This compiles and runs your app on the connected Android device.

8. Testing and Debugging

Use the hot reload feature (r in the terminal or the lightning icon in the editor) to see changes in real-time without restarting the app. Debug using tools in Android Studio or VS Code.

9. Building an APK for Android

To generate an APK that you can share or upload to the Play Store:

flutter build apk

The APK file will be located in build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/.

Building your first Android app using Flutter is a great starting point for any aspiring mobile developer. With Flutter’s rich set of widgets, strong community, and single codebase approach, you can quickly scale to building advanced features and even iOS apps later. Keep experimenting and building!