diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b6929c6..9b53905 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ flutter --version --no-version-check
 dart --version
 ```
 
+## Channels
+
+See [docs/channels.md](docs/channels.md) for details.
+
 ## Architecture selection
 
 See [docs/arm64.md](docs/arm64.md) for details.
diff --git a/docs/channels.md b/docs/channels.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..088ff9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/channels.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Channels
+
+`stable` and `beta` install the release the channel currently points to, and also
+accept an architecture suffix such as `stable-x64` (see `arm64.md`):
+
+```bash
+vfox install flutter@stable
+```
+
+- **Resolved at install time.** The SDK is installed under the version the channel
+  points to, such as `flutter@3.47.4` (`flutter@3.47.4-x64` for `stable-x64`), and
+  vfox prints that version when the install finishes.
+- **Use the version, not the channel.** `vfox use flutter@stable` fails with
+  `flutter@stable is not installed`; run `vfox use --global flutter@3.47.4` instead.
+  `vfox uninstall` takes the version as well.
+- **Channels are not followed.** Once the channel moves to a new release,
+  `vfox install flutter@stable` installs it next to the old one; switch to it with
+  `vfox use`.
+
+Flutter retired the `dev` channel, whose last release is `2.13.0-0.1.pre` from April 2022,
+so the plugin does not accept it.
diff --git a/docs/ohos.md b/docs/ohos.md
index 3015dc5..0a12feb 100644
--- a/docs/ohos.md
+++ b/docs/ohos.md
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ vfox search flutter
 ## Limits
 
 - **Install by exact version.** OpenHarmony versions sort after the official releases,
-  so `@latest` and the `stable`/`beta`/`dev` channels never select one.
+  so `@latest` never selects one. The `stable` and `beta` channels (see `channels.md`)
+  resolve through Flutter's official release index, which lists no OpenHarmony builds.
 - **No architecture variants.** `flutter@3.41.10-ohos-1.0.0-x64` is not supported.
 - **`linux-arm64` and `windows-arm64`.** Upstream publishes only x64 Dart SDKs, so the first
   `flutter` run fails there (`It appears that the downloaded file is corrupt`).
diff --git a/hooks/pre_install.lua b/hooks/pre_install.lua
index 40d4444..dc27121 100644
--- a/hooks/pre_install.lua
+++ b/hooks/pre_install.lua
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@ function PLUGIN:PreInstall(ctx)
     local platform = getOsTypeAndArch()
     local targetArch = requestedArch or platform.archType
     local channelKey
-    if arg == "beta" or arg == "dev" or arg == "stable" then
+    -- releases_<os>.json still publishes current_release.dev, but Flutter
+    -- retired the dev channel and it stays at 2.13.0-0.1.pre.
+    if arg == "beta" or arg == "stable" then
         local resp, err = http.get({
             url = getReleasesUrl(platform.osType),
         })
diff --git a/tests/hooks_test.lua b/tests/hooks_test.lua
index 8fb6373..1efca2e 100644
--- a/tests/hooks_test.lua
+++ b/tests/hooks_test.lua
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ tests[#tests + 1] = {
     function()
         for _, arch in ipairs({ "arm64", "amd64" }) do
             setup("darwin", arch)
-            for channel, version in pairs({ stable = "3.44.0", beta = "3.44.0-0.1.pre", dev = "3.43.0-0.1.pre" }) do
+            for channel, version in pairs({ stable = "3.44.0", beta = "3.44.0-0.1.pre" }) do
                 installed(channel, version, arch == "amd64" and "x64" or arch)
                 installed(channel .. "-x64", version .. "-x64", "x64")
                 installed(channel .. "-arm64", version .. "-arm64", "arm64")
@@ -147,6 +147,14 @@ tests[#tests + 1] = {
         end
     end,
 }
+tests[#tests + 1] = {
+    "the retired dev channel is not resolved",
+    function()
+        setup("darwin", "arm64")
+        equal(PLUGIN:PreInstall({ version = "dev" }), nil)
+        equal(PLUGIN:PreInstall({ version = "dev-x64" }), nil)
+    end,
+}
 tests[#tests + 1] = {
     "pre-release versions retain their full version strings",
     function()