Coder Legion - Recent posts tagged antigravity

Antigravity CLI First Impressions: Fast, Rough, and Not Ready

Thu, 21 May 2026 11:07:17 +0000

Google has officially replaced Gemini CLI with the new Antigravity CLI and launched it alongside Gemini 3.5 Flash, which became the default model for the new CLI experience. That made the launch more than a simple rebrand: it was also the first real chance to see whether Google’s new default coding-agent stack actually felt better in practice

To test that, I ran Ship Bench, the real-coding-workflow benchmark I built to evaluate how models and coding agents behave in practical development tasks, rather than toy prompts or isolated code snippets. This was not a full benchmark write-up; it was a quick first-pass meant to capture what it felt like to use Antigravity CLI as a working developer tool while exercising a realistic repo workflow through Ship Bench.

What I tested

I used Antigravity CLI on Windows in the context of a Ship Bench run, which meant the CLI was being pushed through a practical coding loop rather than a curated demo. The goal was not just to test whether the agent could answer prompts, but whether it could survive the kind of environment, permissions, command execution, and iteration flow that real coding work demands.

I could have switched to Gemini Pro, but I intentionally stayed on Gemini 3.5 Flash, as the default model I wanted to see whether its promised speed and quota efficiency would make it the better everyday option. In other words, the test was really: Can it extend my usage quote over using a larger/pro model with the same quality?

First-run impressions

The first impression was mixed. Gemini 3.5 Flash is genuinely fast, and the agent feels quick and responsive, but the surrounding CLI experience was rough enough that it overshadowed most of the upside.

On the first development iteration, the model decided it wanted a different (older) Node version and used nvm to install an older one. After that, it seemed to lose track of Node on PATH entirely. It tried to recover, failed to reload the environment cleanly, then started searching the file system for node.exe and dynamically re-adding that location to PATH on each command run. That behavior appears to be what triggered repeated permission prompts on every command. A pretty miserable experience. Once the terminal and CLI were restarted, that specific problem cleared up and normal command execution returned.

That first issue felt like a bad transient state rather than the main product problem. The more important issue showed up in a more normal run: Antigravity CLI would not remember conversation-scoped permission grants, even after they had already been approved. That made the workflow feel fragmented and repetitive, because the tool kept asking for approval where the session context suggested it should already know the answer. Frustrating.

The handling of background commands also felt awkward. When running npm work in the background, the CLI shifted into a wait-timer style interaction instead of just naturally waiting on the task, which made the orchestration feel more mechanical than smooth. I suppose it could end up beneficial when it decides to run parallel tool calls.

I also hit the same class of Windows terminal issues other users have been discussing, including hanging or inconsistent command execution behavior in terminal sessions in addition to terminal resize issues. Basic expectations, really. On Windows especially, the CLI still feels unstable enough that the shell layer becomes part of the story rather than disappearing into the background.

Flash versus the CLI

One important distinction is that not every failure belonged to the CLI itself. For example, failing to add a .gitignore file on the first run feels more like a Gemini 3.5 Flash planning/execution miss than a shell-wrapper problem.

In that sense, the experience split into two separate judgments. Gemini 3.5 Flash felt fast and promising as a coding model, but Antigravity CLI felt rough as the environment wrapped around it. The difficult part is that, from a user perspective, those layers blur together fast when the default workflow is what you are actually evaluating.

Quota and value

The quota behavior ended up being the biggest practical negative. I chose to test Gemini 3.5 Flash specifically because it was the new default and because one of the appealing ideas behind Flash was that it could extend usable quota while still feeling fast enough for real work. Instead, I burned through quota shockingly quickly.

In practice, I could not get through even two meaningful iterations before hitting quota limits, and at one point the interface reported about 20% quota remaining while still refusing to continue. That mismatch made the product feel unreliable in exactly the area where a coding agent has to be predictable. In contrast, I was able to complete a seven iteration run with Claude Code Sonnet within its 5-hour quota, which made Antigravity’s current usage story feel much worse by comparison.

That is probably the biggest reason this left such a negative impression. Google AI Pro had started to look like one of the better-value options in the coding-agent space, but if the default Antigravity CLI plus Gemini 3.5 Flash path burns quota this fast while also failing to carry work forward smoothly, the value proposition drops hard.

Recommendation

Right now, the fairest read is that Antigravity CLI ships with a promising engine but an unstable developer experience. Gemini 3.5 Flash is fast enough to make the launch interesting, but the combination of permission persistence problems, Windows terminal roughness, odd environment recovery behavior, and unexpectedly harsh quota limits makes the overall package hard to recommend.

For a quick Ship Bench-driven first impression, this lands as a strong “not recommended” for me. The model may be improving, but the CLI needs to stabilize before it feels like a real replacement for the more mature Gemini CLI experience.

Stitch + Antigravity + Flutter: Build Apps with AI Agents in 2026

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 19:55:52 +0000

In 2026, the way we build Flutter apps has completely changed. You no longer start by opening VS Code and typing widgets line by line.

Instead, you describe your app in plain English, an AI agent designs the entire UI, another agent writes and wires up the code, and you only guide the process.

That’s exactly what Google’s Stitch + Antigravity + Flutter combo delivers.

Today I’m going to show you the complete end-to-end workflow: from a simple prompt to a fully functional Flutter app in under a few minutes. This is the new skill every Flutter developer needs in 2026.

Why This Workflow Matters Right Now

Stitch is Google’s AI design agent. You give it a text prompt or even a rough sketch, and it instantly generates production-ready UI designs and structured metadata.

Antigravity is Google’s agentic IDE — a next-gen VS Code fork powered by Gemini. It doesn’t just suggest code; it plans, runs terminal commands, installs packages, writes tests, and iterates until the app works.

When you connect Stitch output to Antigravity via the new MCP (Model Context Protocol) connectors, the AI agent converts the design into real Flutter + Dart code.

This is what the community is calling “vibe coding” or “agentic development.” The developer is still in control — you review, tweak prompts, and make final decisions. But the heavy lifting is handled by agents.

Perfect for rapid prototyping, MVPs, or even production features.

Prerequisites & Setup

Before we build:

Flutter 3.27+ (stable)
Google account with access to Antigravity (antigravity.google)
Stitch access at stitch.withgoogle.com (Google Labs)

Step 1: Install Antigravity (it’s a separate IDE). Download from antigravity.google and open it.

Step 2: Enable MCP connectors in Antigravity settings (this links Stitch directly).

Step 3: Create a new Flutter project in Antigravity or create an empty folder and open it on Antigravity; it will handle every other setup.

Live Build Demo — Let’s Build a Real App. We’re going to build a simple ‘Daily Habit Tracker’ app using only prompts.

First, open Stitch:

Prompt:

Create a clean, modern mobile habit tracker application UI designed to help users build consistent daily routines and maintain positive habits. The design should feel minimal, motivating, and calming, encouraging users to stay consistent with their goals. Use a modern, accessible color system with a primary accent color and soft neutral backgrounds. Support both light mode and dark mode. Use rounded cards, subtle shadows, smooth spacing, and simple iconography to create a polished mobile experience. The application should include bottom navigation with the following sections:

Home / Today Screen

*   Display a daily streak counter at the top with a visually engaging streak indicator (flame or progress ring).
    
*   Show today’s habits list in card format.
    
*   Each habit should include:
    
    *   A checkbox or toggle to mark completion.
        
    *   Habit name.
        
    *   Optional small progress indicator.
        
*   Include a progress summary showing how many habits are completed for the day.
    
*   Add a motivational quote section at the bottom to inspire users.
    

Habits Screen

*   Display a list of all created habits.
    
*   Each habit card should show:
    
    *   Habit name
        
    *   Current streak
        
    *   Completion progress
        
*   Provide an “Add Habit” floating action button.
    
*   Allow editing or deleting habits.
    

Progress / Statistics Screen

*   Display weekly and monthly habit completion charts.
    
*   Show streak history and completion percentages.
    
*   Include visual elements like line charts or progress rings.
    

Profile / Settings Screen

*   Display a circular user avatar.
    
*   Show user statistics such as:
    
    *   Total habits created
        
    *   Longest streak
        
    *   Total days completed
        
*   Include settings such as:
    
    *   Dark mode toggle
        
    *   Notification reminders
        
    *   Habit reminder times
        

Design Style

*   Minimalist and modern mobile UI
    
*   Rounded cards and soft shadows
    
*   Smooth spacing and readable typography
    
*   Friendly icons and subtle animations
    
*   Clean bottom navigation bar
    
*   Consistent spacing and hierarchy

Stitch instantly generates the full UI design + metadata. Now select the screens generated by Stitch and click on Export — then select MCP

Now copy the Prompt and move to Antigravity:

Open the Agent Tab and paste the prompt from Stitch

After Antigravity is done downloading all the screens, then you can give it an instruction of what to build e.g

Use the UI layout generated from Stitch and build a Flutter application using Dart. 
The project should follow Clean Architecture and separate presentation, domain, and data layers. 
Use the Riverpod for state management. Ensure UI components are separated from business logic and follow a clear architecture project structure.

Watch the magic afterward. By the way, the AI Agent will ask for permission to run some commands; make sure you go through and approve accordingly.

After 10–12 minutes, run flutter run and the fully functional app appears on your emulator.

Best Practices & Pro Tips

Key lessons from using this daily:

Always start with a clear, detailed prompt in Stitch (include platform, theme, accessibility).
In Antigravity, use the ‘Manager Agent’ mode and give it one task at a time.
Review every generated file — AI is fast but not perfect yet (especially complex state logic).
Combine with your existing skills: Use Riverpod, GoRouter, and Impeller optimizations from my earlier videos.
Limitations: Native plugins and heavy custom logic still need human oversight.
Pro move: Save your best prompts as reusable skills in Antigravity for future projects.

This workflow is gaining traction in the Flutter community right now because it lets you go from idea to a working app faster than ever.

Quick pause before we finish, if you’re serious about mastering AI tools like this, join my free Flutter + AI newsletter. Every week, I share the exact prompts, workflows, and early access to new agent skills that I test before they hit YouTube. Completely free, no spam — just the most relevant stuff for Flutter developers. https://techwithsam.dev/newsletter — I’d love to see you there!

This is the new reality of Flutter development in 2026 — Stitch for design, Antigravity for agentic building, and you as the conductor.

Don’t forget to join my Free Newsletter: https://techwithsam.dev/newsletter

Samuel Adekunle, Tech With Sam YouTube