🧩 Problem Statement:
You're trying to implement Phone Number Authentication in Flutter with Firebase :
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✅ In Firebase Console test phone number and verification code set correctly
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❌ OTP screen flashes for a split second in the Mobile App
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❌ Then you’re redirected to Chrome browser, without being able to enter the OTP
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❌ Or app seems to "hang" or fail silently
This can mislead developers into thinking the Firebase setup is broken, when in fact — it's an emulator problem.
🎯 Root Cause:
The problem arises when your emulator doesn't have Google Play Services.
Firebase Phone Auth uses Google Play Services to manage:
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reCAPTCHA flows
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SafetyNet checks
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SMS auto-retrieval and manual entry screen
Without it, Android redirects to a browser to complete verification — which often fails silently in the emulator.
✅ Verified Fix (Working Emulator Setup):
1. Delete Any Emulator Without Google Play
Go to Android Studio > Device Manager
🗑️ Delete emulators that don’t show “Google Play” in the “Play Store” column.
2. Create a New Emulator (Pixel 6a Recommended)
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Click “Create Virtual Device”
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Choose a modern Pixel (Pixel 6a works great)
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Proceed to System Image screen
3. Select the Correct System Image
✅ Choose:
API 33 | Google Play | x86_64
Look for these clues:
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✅ “Google Play” tag in green
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✅ “Play Store” column shows a checkmark after creation
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✅ Emulator shows Play Store icon on home screen
4. Check SDK Components (One-Time)
Open Android Studio > SDK Manager > SDK Tools tab.
Ensure the following are installed:
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☑️ Google Play Services
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☑️ Android SDK Platform for API 33
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☑️ Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator
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☑️ Android Emulator
Then restart Android Studio.
🧪 Test the Flow Again
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Launch your new emulator
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Run your Flutter app
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Initiate Phone Auth
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✅ You’ll now see the OTP entry screen stay and function properly — no Chrome redirection!
🛠️ Summary
If your Firebase Phone Auth:
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✅ Sends OTP
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❌ Flashes the OTP screen
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❌ Redirects to Chrome
👉 You are likely using an emulator without Google Play Services.
Fix it by switching to a Google Play system image (e.g., Pixel 6a, API 33 with Google Play).
