Flutter, combined with Visual Studio Code (VS Code), is a powerful setup for cross-platform app development. However, many developers encounter an issue where the Flutter emulator does not show up in VS Code. This guide provides a simple and effective solution to resolve this issue.
Solution:
Open Your Project in VS Code: Start by launching Visual Studio Code.
Open your existing Flutter project or create a new one by selecting File > Open Folder and navigating to your project directory.
Access the Command Palette: In VS Code, go to the top menu bar and click on the View button.
From the dropdown menu, select Command Palette…. Alternatively, you can open the Command Palette by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS).
Select Device in Command Palette: Once the Command Palette is open, type >Flutter: Select Device.
Click on Flutter: Select Device from the search results.
Choose Your Emulator: A list of available emulators will appear.
Select the desired emulator from the list to launch it.
Detailed Steps with Screenshots
Step 1: Open Your Project in VS Code
Launch Visual Studio Code and open your Flutter project by navigating to File > Open Folder. Select your project directory and open it.
Step 2: Access the Command Palette
To open the Command Palette, go to View in the top menu and select Command Palette…, or use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS).
Step 3: Select Device in Command Palette
In the Command Palette, type >Flutter: Select Device. This will filter the options and show the relevant command. Click on Flutter: Select Device.
Step 4: Choose Your Emulator
After selecting Flutter: Select Device, you will see a list of available emulators. Choose the emulator you want to use from the list. Once selected, the emulator will launch, and you can start testing your Flutter application.