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Create a local project

Nowa isn’t only available in your browser — you can also use Nowa Desktop, a dedicated app for macOS and Windows.

With Nowa Desktop, you can create and manage your local Flutter projects right on your computer.

This guide will walk you through downloading Nowa, setting up Flutter, and starting your first local project.

Downloading Nowa Desktop​

I’ll show you how to download Nowa Desktop.

  1. Log in on the Web
    Go to app.nowa.dev in your browser and log in to your Nowa account.

  2. Download the App
    Click on Download for Desktop and choose the version that matches your system (macOS or Windows).

  3. Install
    Once downloaded, follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Setting up Flutter SDK​

To run local projects, Nowa Desktop needs the Flutter SDK installed on your computer. You can let Nowa install everything for you automatically, or point it to an existing Flutter install manually.

Nowa can download and configure Flutter and the Android toolchain for you — no terminal required.

  1. Open Local Setup
    In Nowa Desktop, click the ⚙️ Settings icon, then go to the Local Setup tab. Under Automatic setup, click Set up automatically.

  2. Download Flutter
    Optionally choose an install location, or leave it as is to let Nowa use its own default folder (the path must not contain spaces). Then accept the licenses and click Install next to Flutter. The Flutter SDK is about 1 GB to download and installs the tools (about 10 GB) into the chosen folder.

  3. Wait for the download to finish
    Nowa downloads and unpacks the Flutter SDK. You can follow the progress in the dialog.

  4. Verify the setup
    Once Flutter is installed, Nowa moves to the Verify step and runs flutter doctor to check your environment.

    When it finishes, you'll see what flutter doctor reports and which devices you can run on (for example iOS, macOS, and Chrome).

  5. (Optional) Install the Android toolchain
    The Android toolchain is only needed to build Android apps, and the emulator is optional too. Click Install to add them, or Skip for now if you only target web or desktop — you can always add them later from Settings → Environment.

    Once they're installed, the toolchain and emulator show as Ready · Managed by Nowa. Click Done to finish.

note

Nowa downloads these tools from Google and the Eclipse Foundation. By installing, you agree to their licenses and acknowledge their privacy policies.

Set up Flutter manually​

If you already have Flutter installed, you can point Nowa to it instead.

  1. Install Flutter SDK
    Download it from the official Flutter website and follow the steps to install.

  2. Connect Flutter to Nowa Desktop

    • Open Nowa Desktop and log in.
    • Click the ⚙️ Settings icon in the bottom-left corner.
    • Go to the Local Setup tab.
    • Point Nowa to your Flutter SDK folder (the one containing bin).
    • (Optional) Choose a default folder where your projects will be saved.
    • (Optional) Add your VS Code path if you want smooth integration.


Why use Nowa Desktop?​

Nowa Desktop gives you extra power compared to the web version:

  • Better performance — runs natively on your computer.
  • Local projects — your apps are standard Flutter projects, so you can use VS Code, GitHub, Copilot, and other tools with them.
  • Cross-platform testing — run your app on Android, iOS, Web, or Desktop simulators.
  • Offline mode — build and edit even without internet access.
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Good to know: Nowa Desktop is available for all users — no premium plan required.

Creating your first local project​

Once Nowa Desktop is set up, you can start creating your first local project.

  1. In the sidebar, go to Your Projects → Local Projects.

  2. Click New Local Project.

  3. Choose New Local Project from the dropdown.

  4. Fill in your project details:

    • Give your project a name.
    • The package name is created automatically.
    • Browse and select where you want to save the project.

  5. Confirm the folder and click Create.

Nowa will generate a ready-to-use Flutter project with all the files you need.