absolutely! You can build Android APKs using Flutter with VS Code.
VS Code is just your editor, all the heavy work (compiling & building APK) is done by the Flutter SDK + Android SDK.
Here’s the full process
Step 1: Make Sure Android SDK is Installed
- Install Android Studio (for Android SDK + tools).
- Confirm SDK path:
C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk
- Set
ANDROID_HOME
environment variable to this path. - Run:
flutter doctor
It should show[√] Android toolchain
.
Step 2: Create Flutter Project in VS Code
In VS Code terminal:
flutter create my_app
cd my_app
code .
Step 3: Build Debug APK (for testing only)
flutter build apk
Output:
build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-debug.apk
Step 4: Build Release APK (for sharing / publishing)
flutter build apk --release
Output:
build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk
This APK can be installed on any Android device.
Step 5: Build Android App Bundle (for Play Store)
Google Play Store now prefers .aab
files instead of .apk
:
flutter build appbundle --release
Output:
build/app/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab
This is the file you upload to Google Play Console.
Step 6: Run Directly on Device
- Connect your Android phone (enable USB Debugging).
- Or start Android Emulator.
- Run:
flutter run
So yes, using Flutter + VS Code, you can:
- Run on emulator/real phone
- Build
.apk
for testing/sharing - Build
.aab
for Play Store publishing