How to Set Up Emulator for Dart Projects

If you’re working on Dart or Flutter projects in Android Studio, running an emulator is essential to test and debug your mobile apps. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up an Android emulator specifically tailored for Dart-based applications.

Step 1: Install Android Studio & Dart Plugin

Make sure Android Studio is installed on your system. Then install the Dart and Flutter plugins by navigating to:

Android Studio > Preferences > Plugins > Marketplace > Search for “Dart” and “Flutter” > Install

Step 2: Install Android Emulator

Go to:

Android Studio > Tools > Device Manager > Create Device

Select a device type (e.g., Pixel 5) and a system image (preferably the latest stable version). Click “Next”, then “Finish”.

Step 3: Enable Emulator Acceleration (Optional but Recommended)

To enhance performance, enable emulator acceleration using Intel HAXM or Hypervisor Framework on macOS. Check the official Android Emulator performance guide for detailed steps.

Step 4: Launch and Test

Once the virtual device is set up:

• Open your Dart/Flutter project.
• Click on the Device Selector in the top bar of Android Studio.
• Choose the emulator you just created and click Run.

Step 5: Run Your Dart Code

In your main Dart file (main.dart), you can run a simple Flutter app like:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

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

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        body: Center(child: Text('Hello, Emulator!')),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Press the green Run button, and your Dart app will launch on the emulator.