Flutter is Google's toolkit for building Android and iOS (plus web/desktop) apps from a single Dart codebase. It draws its own UI, so apps look and feel consistent everywhere and are very fast.
Install
- Download the Flutter SDK from flutter.dev.
- Run
flutter doctor— it checks and guides you through any missing setup (Android Studio, Xcode, devices). - Use VS Code or Android Studio with the Flutter/Dart plugins.
Create and run
flutter create my_app
cd my_app
flutter run // launches on a connected device/emulatorEverything is a widget
In Flutter, the entire UI is built from widgets — small building blocks you compose together.
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
void main() => runApp(const MyApp());
class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
const MyApp({super.key});
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return const MaterialApp(
home: Scaffold(body: Center(child: Text('Hello Flutter'))),
);
}
}Tip: Hot reload (press r) updates a running app in under a second while keeping its state — a huge productivity boost.
Summary
Flutter builds cross-platform apps from Dart, the UI is all widgets, and hot reload makes iteration instant.