Keeping your Flutter development environment up-to-date is crucial for project stability, compatibility with packages, and a smooth workflow. A critical first step is knowing how to check Flutter version. Maintaining a smooth development workflow in Flutter requires keeping your environment up-to-date. A crucial aspect of this is knowing how to check Flutter version. Flutter version helps you ensure compatibility with packages, tools, and overall project stability. 

This guide explores various methods to check your Flutter version with clear explanations, helping you make informed decisions for your projects.

Find Your Flutter Version: 3 Methods

There are three primary ways to check your Flutter version:

1. Using the Command Line (Simplest and most direct approach)

2. Employing flutter doctor (Provides a comprehensive health report)

3. Inspecting the pubspec.lock File (For specific project version)

We’ll start by exploring each method, describing the steps to be followed, and explaining the information you can expect to find.

1. The Command Line: A Straightforward Approach

CLI or the (command line interface) is the most straightforward way to check your Flutter version. Here’s a breakdown of the process:

Access Your Terminal:

• Windows: Open the Command Prompt application.
• macOS/Linux: Launch the Terminal application.

Execute the Command: Type flutter –version and press Enter.

flutter --version

Interpreting the Output: The command will display the installed Flutter version along with details like the Dart version and channel you’re using.

Here’s an example of the output you might see:

Flutter 3.0.4 • channel stable • https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
Framework • revision 0e7d70adfc (stable) • 2023-11-21 16:32:53 -0800
Engine • revision 1f76f2d2c5
Tools • Dart 2.18.4

This output indicates:

• Flutter Version: 3.0.4
• Channel: stable (The most recommended channel for production use)
• Framework revision (Specific revision of the Flutter framework)
• Engine revision (Specific revision of the underlying engine)
• Dart tools version (Version of the Dart tools used by Flutter)

2. Delving Deeper with flutter doctor

While flutter –version provides a basic overview, the flutter doctor command offers a more comprehensive report. This command analyzes your Flutter environment’s health, ensuring everything is set up correctly for development. Here’s how to use it:

Run the Command: Type flutter doctor and press Enter

flutter doctor

Understanding the Report: The report will provide information on various aspects of your environment:

• Flutter SDK version (Confirms the installed Flutter version)
• Dart SDK version (Verifies the Dart version used by Flutter)
• Dev tools (Checks the availability and functionality of essential developer tools like the Flutter engine and Dart tools)
• Android and iOS dependencies (Ensures the necessary Android tools (like Android Studio) and iOS dependencies (like Xcode) are installed and configured correctly)

Importance of Using the -v Flag:

For a more detailed breakdown of each section in the report, consider using the -v flag along with the command:

flutter doctor -v

The verbose output provides a deeper dive into each area, making it valuable for troubleshooting and maintaining a properly set up development environment.

3. Checking Project Version (Using pubspec.lock File)

If you’re working with a cloned Flutter project, you can determine the version it was created with. This can help understand the project’s requirements and potential compatibility issues. Here’s how to find it.

• Locate the pubspec.lock File: This file resides in the project’s root directory.
• Open the File: Use a text editor to open the pubspec.lock file.
• Find the Flutter Version: Search for lines containing “flutter”. You’ll find a line specifying the exact Flutter version used during development.

Important Note: This method only reveals the version the project was built with, not necessarily the version installed on your system.

Choosing the Right Method:

For a quick overview: Use the flutter –version command.

flutter --version

For a comprehensive health check: Utilize flutter doctor.

flutter doctor

For determining a project’s specific version: Check the pubspec.lock file.

pubspec.lock

By understanding these methods, you’ll be well-equipped to check your Flutter version effectively.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a developer, a business owner who created an app using Flutter, or just a beginner exploring Flutter, it’s crucial to know your Flutter version. This way you will have your environment stable, you will be able to detect the problems that may occur, and your projects will always run in the latest version.

With the help of this blog, you will be able to immediately and quickly determine your current version of Flutter and proceed with your development workflow smoothly and without problems.