Fixing "Unable to find bundled Java version" in Flutter After Android Studio Update

This guide addresses the "Unable to find bundled Java version" error that occurs after updating Android Studio on macOS, particularly on Apple Silicon (M1) devices.

Root Cause

The issue occurs because newer Android Studio versions (Arctic Fox 2020.3.1 and later) use a jbr (JetBrains Runtime) folder instead of the traditional jre (Java Runtime Environment) folder. Flutter's doctor command still expects to find a jre directory, causing the error.

Recommended Solutions

Method 1: Create Symbolic Link (macOS)

This is the most widely recommended solution for macOS users:

# Navigate to Android Studio Contents directory
cd /Applications/Android\ Studio.app/Contents

# Create symbolic link from jbr to jre
ln -s jbr jre

# Update Flutter's Android Studio path configuration
flutter config --android-studio-dir /Applications/Android\ Studio.app

Method 2: Manual Folder Duplication

If symbolic links don't work for your setup:

1. Open Finder and navigate to Applications
2. Right-click on Android Studio and select "Show Package Contents"
3. Open the Contents folder
4. Duplicate the jbr folder
5. Rename the copy to jre

Method 3: Windows Solution

For Windows users experiencing this issue:

# Run Command Prompt as Administrator
cd "C:\Program Files\Android\Android Studio"
mklink /d "jre" "jbr"

Additional Configuration

After applying the main fix, you might need to:

1. Set JAVA_HOME environment variable (macOS):

# Add to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc)
export JAVA_HOME="/Applications/Android Studio.app/Contents/jbr/Contents/Home"

2. Accept Android licenses:

flutter doctor --android-licenses

3. Verify the fix:

flutter doctor -v

Troubleshooting

WARNING

If you encounter "file exists" errors when creating symbolic links, use the -f (force) flag:

ln -sf jbr jre

INFO

If you've installed a standalone JDK, ensure it's compatible with your system architecture (ARM64 for Apple Silicon M1).

Prevention

To avoid similar issues in the future:

• Keep both Flutter SDK and Android Studio updated to their latest versions
• Check for known compatibility issues before updating development tools
• Maintain backup of your development environment configuration

Conclusion

The "Unable to find bundled Java version" error is a compatibility issue between newer Android Studio versions and Flutter's expectations. The symbolic link solution effectively bridges this gap without modifying original files. For most users, Method 1 provides the cleanest and most maintainable fix.

After applying these changes, your Flutter development environment should function correctly with the updated Android Studio version.