How to Export APK on Flutter

To export an APK (Android Package) file in Flutter, follow this step-by-step guide. This guide will allow you to generate a release version of your Flutter app and prepare it for distribution or installation on Android devices.

Step 1: Set Up Your Environment

Make sure you have Flutter and Android Studio installed on your machine. You’ll also need an emulator or a connected Android device to test the APK.

• Make sure Android SDK and Android Studio are properly installed.

• Ensure that your Flutter project is working correctly.

You can verify your environment by running:

Copyflutter doctor

Fix any issues reported by flutter doctor before proceeding.

Make sure your flutter is running in android emulator

Step 2: Configure Your App for Release

Before exporting the APK, you need to configure your Flutter app for release mode.

1. Update android/app/build.gradle:

   • Open android/app/build.gradle.

   • Locate the buildTypes block and ensure the release block is properly set up. Here's a default release configuration:

   Copyandroid {
       compileSdkVersion 34
   
       defaultConfig {
           applicationId "com.example.myapp" //make sure the name is from your company and prohect name
           minSdkVersion 21
           targetSdkVersion 33
           versionCode 1
           versionName "1.0"
       }
   
       buildTypes {
           release {
               // Shrinks, optimizes, and obfuscates your code by default
               minifyEnabled true
               // Enables ProGuard for code obfuscation (optional)
               proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
           }
       }
   }
   

   Step 4: Build the APK

Now that the project is set up for release, you can generate the APK.

1. Run the Flutter Build Command: Run the following command in the terminal from your project’s root directory:

   Copyflutter build apk --release
   

   This command builds the release APK and stores it in the build/app/outputs/flutter-apk directory.

   

2. Check the APK: The APK will be located at:

   Copybuild/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk
   

   

Step 5: Test the APK on an Android Device

1. Transfer the APK to your Android device via USB, email, or cloud storage.

   In my case I use Telegram

Open the APK file on your device and install it.