If you’re building a Flutter app and suddenly hit this error:
`Target dart_build failed:
Error: Android NDK Clang could not be found.
Execution failed for task ':app:compileFlutterBuildDebug'
Gradle task assembleDebug failed with exit code 1`
Don’t worry — this is a very common Flutter + Android Studio issue, and the fix is straightforward once you understand it.
Let’s break it down 👇
🔍 What does this error mean?
Flutter is trying to compile native Android code (C/C++), but it can’t find Clang, the compiler that comes with the Android NDK.
Even if you never wrote C++ code, many Flutter plugins (camera, Firebase, ML, video player, etc.) use native code internally.
If the NDK is missing, corrupted, or misconfigured, Flutter fails to build.
🚨 Common reasons this happens
Android NDK not installed
Wrong or unsupported NDK version
NDK path missing in local.properties
Corrupted NDK installation
Gradle doesn’t know which NDK to use
✅ Step-by-Step Fix (Tested & Working)
✅ Step 1: Install Android NDK
Open Android Studio:
File → Settings
→ Appearance & Behavior
→ System Settings
→ Android SDK
→ SDK Tools
Enable:
✅ NDK (Side by side)
✅ CMake
✅ Android SDK Command-line Tools
Click Apply → OK
✅ Step 2: Install the recommended NDK version
Flutter is most stable with:
NDK 25.2.9519653
In SDK Tools:
Click Show Package Details
Select 25.2.9519653
Install it
✅ Step 3: Set NDK path manually
Open:
android/local.properties
Add or update:
`sdk.dir=C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\AppData\\Local\\Android\\Sdk
ndk.dir=C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\AppData\\Local\\Android\\Sdk\\ndk\\25.2.9519653
`
⚠ Windows users: Always use double backslashes (\)
✅ Step 4: Specify NDK version in Gradle
Open:
android/app/build.gradle
Inside the android {} block, add:
ndkVersion "25.2.9519653"
This prevents Gradle from picking the wrong NDK.
✅ Step 5: Clean & rebuild
Run:
flutter clean
flutter pub get
flutter run
Your project should now build successfully 🎉
🔎 Extra check (recommended)
Run:
flutter doctor -v
Make sure there are no ❌ errors under:
Android toolchain
Android SDK
NDK
🧠 Key Takeaway
Flutter apps often depend on native Android code, so a correctly installed and configured NDK is essential.
This error looks scary, but it’s easy to fix once you know where to look.
If this helped you, feel free to ❤️ the post or share it with another Flutter dev who’s stuck on the same issue.
Happy coding 🚀💙
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