Flutter setup errorFlutter: “cmdline-tools component is missing” (flutter doctor)

Why doctor can’t find the tools, and the fix

1. 01

   The Command-line Tools were never installed

   “Switch to the SDK Tools tab. Verify that the following SDK Tools have been selected: Android SDK Build-Tools Android SDK Command-line Tools” Flutter, Set up Android development

   The SDK Platform and Platform-Tools come with Android Studio; the Command-line Tools are a separate item in the SDK Tools tab. Tick it, apply, and let the download finish. Without Android Studio, run the command doctor prints: sdkmanager --install "cmdline-tools;latest".

2. 02

   The licenses haven’t been accepted

   “Run the following command to review and sign the SDK licenses.” Flutter, Set up Android development

   With the tools installed, Android license status unknown means the licenses still need your yes. Run the command, read each license, and type y.

   flutter doctor --android-licenses
   flutter doctor -v

3. 03

   A manual SDK install in the wrong folder layout

   “In the unzipped cmdline-tools directory, create a sub-directory called latest.” Android Developers, sdkmanager

   On a build server or a machine without Android Studio, the command-line tools zip has to sit in cmdline-tools/latest inside the SDK folder. Unzipped one level too high, or left in a version folder such as cmdline-tools/10.0, sdkmanager and Flutter may not find it.

   # inside your Android SDK folder
   mkdir -p cmdline-tools/latest
   # move bin/, lib/, NOTICE.txt and source.properties from the zip into cmdline-tools/latest
   cmdline-tools/latest/bin/sdkmanager --install "platform-tools" "platforms;android-35" "build-tools;35.0.0"

4. 04

   Flutter is looking at a different SDK

   If Android Studio shows the tools installed but doctor still complains, Flutter is reading another SDK path, for example an old ANDROID_HOME. Point it at the SDK Android Studio uses (usually ~/Library/Android/sdk on a Mac, ~/Android/Sdk on Linux, C:\Users\YOU\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk on Windows), then rerun doctor.

   flutter config --android-sdk ~/Library/Android/sdk
   flutter doctor -v

Checked against the vendor’s docs on November 8, 2026: Flutter: Set up Android development; Android Developers: sdkmanager (command-line tools layout).

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