How to Change Android minSdkVersion in Your Flutter Project

How to Change Android minSdkVersion in Your Flutter Project

19 December 2024 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Tech-Help

When developing a Flutter application, especially one that utilizes plugins like flutter_blue for Bluetooth communication, you may encounter an error related to the minimum supported SDK version. This issue arises if the library requires a higher minSdkVersion than your project currently supports. Here, we’ll guide you through updating the minSdkVersion in your Flutter project.

Understanding the minSdkVersion Issue

The error typically occurs when the minSdkVersion specified in your build.gradle file is lower than the version required by a plugin or library. For instance, flutter_blue requires a minimum SDK version of 19, while your project might be set to 16 by default. This discrepancy can lead to build failures.

Steps to Update the minSdkVersion

To resolve this issue, you need to update the minSdkVersion in your Flutter project’s build.gradle file. Follow these steps:

Editing the build.gradle File

  1. Navigate to the android/app/build.gradle file in your Flutter project directory.
  2. Locate the defaultConfig block within the file. It typically looks like this:
    defaultConfig {
    applicationId "com.example.projectname"
    minSdkVersion 16 // Previous version
    targetSdkVersion 28
    versionCode 1
    versionName "1.0"
    testInstrumentationRunner "android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
}
  3. Change the minSdkVersion to the required version, such as 19:
    minSdkVersion 19
  4. Save the file and rebuild your project.

Advanced Configuration for Flutter 2.8 and Later

For developers using Flutter 2.8 or later, there is an alternative method to manage SDK versions using the local.properties file. Here’s how:

  1. Open the android/local.properties file.
  2. Add the following lines:
    flutter.minSdkVersion=21
flutter.targetSdkVersion=30
flutter.compileSdkVersion=30
  3. Modify your build.gradle to use these properties:
    defaultConfig {
    minSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.minSdkVersion').toInteger()
    targetSdkVersion localProperties.getProperty('flutter.targetSdkVersion').toInteger()
    versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
    versionName flutterVersionName
}

Conclusion

Adjusting the minSdkVersion is a crucial step in ensuring your Flutter app is compatible with the libraries and plugins you intend to use. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively resolve build issues related to SDK version mismatches.

Streamlining Your Flutter Testing with Repeato

Once your app is up and running, ensuring it performs consistently across different devices and scenarios is essential. This is where Repeato, our no-code test automation tool for iOS and Android, can be a game-changer. Leveraging computer vision and AI, Repeato allows you to create, run, and maintain automated tests quickly, ensuring your app is robust and reliable. Whether you’re updating SDK versions or implementing new features, Repeato simplifies the testing process, freeing you to focus on development.

Check it out!

Like this article? there’s more where that came from!

Repeato

Documentation

Support

Legal

Repeato Reviews