How Do I Add Flutters to an Existing Android App?

Adding Flutters to an Existing Android App

Do you have an existing Android app that you want to enhance with the power and versatility of Flutter? Look no further!

In this tutorial, we will guide you through the process of integrating Flutter into your existing Android app. Let’s get started!

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the integration process, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• An existing Android app: You should have a working Android app project that you want to add Flutter to.
• Flutter SDK: Install the latest stable version of Flutter SDK on your machine. You can download it from the official Flutter website.
• Android Studio: Ensure that you have Android Studio installed and set up properly.

Integration Steps

Now that we have everything set up, let’s proceed with the integration steps:

Step 1: Create a Flutter Module

To add Flutter to your existing Android app, start by creating a new Flutter module within your project using the following command in your terminal or command prompt:

$ flutter create -t module flutter_module

This will generate a new directory called flutter_module, which contains all the necessary files for integrating Flutter.

Step 2: Configure Gradle Files

Navigate to your project’s root directory and open the settings.gradle file. Add the following lines at the end of the file:

setBinding(new Binding([gradle: this]))
evaluate(new File(
  settingsDir.parentFile,
  'flutter_module/.android/include_flutter.groovy'
))

Next, open the build.gradle file of your app module and add the following lines within the dependencies block:

implementation project(':flutter')

Step 3: Incorporate Flutter View

In your activity’s layout XML file, add a FrameLayout or any other container view where you want to display the Flutter content. Give it an ID for easy reference.

<FrameLayout
    android:id="@+id/flutterContainer"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent" />

Step 4: Initialize FlutterEngine and FlutterView

In your activity’s Java or Kotlin file, initialize the FlutterEngine and FlutterView. Here’s an example:

import io.flutter.embedding.android.FlutterActivity;
import io.FlutterEngine;
import io.FlutterView;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
    private FlutterEngine flutterEngine;
    private FlutterView flutterView;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

        // Initialize the FlutterEngine
        flutterEngine = new FlutterEngine(this);

        // Configure initial route (optional)
        flutterEngine.getNavigationChannel().setInitialRoute("your_initial_route");

        // Attach a FlutterView to the activity's container view
        flutterView = new FlutterView(this);
        FrameLayout.LayoutParams layoutParams = new FrameLayout.LayoutParams(
                FrameLayout.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT,
                FrameLayout.MATCH_PARENT);
        FrameLayout flutterContainer = findViewById(R.id.flutterContainer);
        flutterContainer.addView(flutterView, layoutParams);

        // Connect FlutterView to the FlutterEngine
        flutterView.attachToFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);

        // Start the FlutterEngine
        flutterEngine.getDartExecutor().executeDartEntrypoint(
                DartExecutor.DartEntrypoint.createDefault()
        );
    }
}

Step 5: Run Your App

That’s it! You are now ready to run your app and see the Flutter magic in action. Build and run your Android app as you would normally, and you should see your Flutter content displayed within the specified container view.

Note: Make sure you have a running Flutter development environment by executing flutter doctor in your terminal or command prompt.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully added Flutters to your existing Android app.

Now you can leverage the power of Flutter’s rich UI components and fast development cycle to enhance your app’s user experience. Happy coding!