Flutter (software) explained

Flutter
Author:Google
Developer:Google and community
Released:Alpha (v0.0.6) / [1]
Latest Preview Date:12/12/2024
Programming Language:C, C++, Dart[2]
Platform:Android, iOS, Google Fuchsia, Web platform, Linux, macOS and Windows
Genre:Application framework
License:New BSD License

Flutter is an open-source UI software development kit created by Google. It can be used to develop cross platform applications from a single codebase for the web,[3] Fuchsia, Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows.[4] First described in 2015,[5] [6] Flutter was released in May 2017. Flutter is used internally by Google in apps such as Google Pay[7] [8] and Google Earth[9] [10] as well as by other software developers including ByteDance[11] [12] and Alibaba.[13] [14]

Flutter ships applications with its own rendering engine which directly outputs pixel data to the screen.[15] [16] This is in contrast to many other UI frameworks that rely on the target platform to provide a rendering engine, such as native Android apps which rely on the device-level Android SDK or IOS SDK which use the target platform's built-in UI stack. Flutter's control of its rendering pipeline simplifies multi-platform support as identical UI code can be used for all target platforms.

Architecture

The basic component in a Flutter program is a "widget", which can in turn consist of other widgets.[17] A widget describes the logic, interaction, and design of a UI element with an implementation similar to React. Unlike other cross-platform toolkits such as React Native and Xamarin which draw widgets using native platform components, Flutter renders widgets itself on a per-pixel basis. Flutter has two types of widgets: stateless and stateful. Stateless widgets only update if their inputs change, meaning they otherwise won't need to be rebuilt when other elements of the screen change, while stateful widgets can call the setState method to update an internal state and redraw.[18] Although widgets are the primary method of constructing Flutter applications, they can also be bypassed in favor of directly drawing on a canvas. This feature has been occasionally used to implement game engines in Flutter.[19]

The Flutter framework contains two sets of widgets that conform to specific design languages: Material Design widgets implement Google's design language of the same name, and Cupertino widgets implement Apple's iOS Human interface guidelines.[20] Flutter allows the developer to use either set of widgets on either platform. Developers can use Cupertino widgets on Android.

Flutter apps are written in the Dart language. Release versions of Flutter apps on all platforms use ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation[21] except for on the Web where code is transpiled to JavaScript or WebAssembly.[22] [23] Flutter inherits Dart's Pub package manager and software repository, which allows users to publish and use custom packages as well as Flutter-specific plugins.[24] The Foundation library, written in Dart, provides basic classes and functions that are used to construct applications using Flutter, such as APIs to communicate with the engine.[25]

Flutter's engine, written primarily in C++, provides low-level rendering support using either Google's Skia graphics library or the custom "Impeller" graphics layer, which is enabled by default on iOS and Android API 29 and higher.[26] [27] [28] The engine interfaces with platform-specific SDKs such as those provided by Android and iOS to implement features like accessibility, file and network I/O, native plugin support, etc.[29]

History

The first version of Flutter was known as "Sky" and ran on the Android operating system. It was unveiled at the 2015 Dart developer summit with the stated intent of being able to render consistently at 120 frames per second.[30] On December 4, 2018, Flutter 1.0 was released at the Flutter conference in London.[31]

On May 6, 2020, the Dart software development kit (SDK) version 2.8 and Flutter 1.17.0 were released, adding support for the Metal API.[32]

On March 3, 2021, Google released Flutter 2 during an online Flutter Engage event.[33] It added a Canvas-based renderer for web in addition to the HTML-based renderer and early-access desktop application support for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It also shipped with Dart 2.0 which included support for null-safety.[34] Null safety was initially optional as it was a breaking change and was made mandatory in Dart 3 released in 2023.[35]

On May 12, 2022, Flutter 3 and Dart 2.17 were released with support for all desktop platforms as stable.[36]

On October 27, 2024, a number of Flutter community developers announced Flock, a fork of Flutter intended to be easier to contribute to while still keeping in sync with all changes made in the upstream code base.[37] [38]

In 2025, Google continued Flutter's evolution with enhanced modular architecture, foldable device support, and ARM IoT optimizations as outlined in the updated roadmap.[39]

Major releases in Flutter

Prior to the Flutter 2.0 release in March of 2021, the Flutter framework was centered on mobile development. The developers of Flutter were primarily focused on the two main platforms, IOS and Android. Specifically, they wanted to deliver strong performance and improve access to native API and platform features and expand the widget system.

With the release of Flutter 2.0, the framework moved beyond mobile and introduced support for the web platform. This marked a shift into a broader cross platform development environment. With this release, developers could produce applications for Web, Android and IOS from the same codebase. This release also brought the desktop platform closer to stable.

There have been a number of improvements since then that have broadened platform support. They introduced enhancements to performance and workflow, redefined the developer’s toolkit, and added an improved rendering engine.

!Version!Date!Major Additions
2.0.0Mar 3, 2021Web stable; desktop beta; null-safety
2.2.0May 18, 2021Performance; desktop tooling progress
2.10.0Feb 3, 2022Windows stable
  1. "Flutter 2.10.0 release notes". docs.flutter.dev. Retrieved 2025-11-11.

See also

References

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Notes and References

  1. Web site: Release v0.0.6: Rev alpha branch version to 0.0.6, flutter 0.0.26 (#10010) · flutter/flutter . Chris Bracken . . 2018-08-08 . 2019-02-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190205055416/https://github.com/flutter/flutter/releases/tag/v0.0.6 . live .
  2. Web site: FAQ - Flutter . . 2018-08-08 . 2019-02-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190223023951/https://flutter.dev/ . live .
  3. Web site: Amadeo . Ron . 2018-02-27 . Google starts a push for cross-platform app development with Flutter SDK . 2021-06-11 . . en-us . 2021-10-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211008235329/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/google-starts-a-push-for-cross-platform-app-development-with-flutter-sdk/ . live .
  4. Web site: Amadeo . Ron . 8 May 2017 . Google's "Fuchsia" smartphone OS dumps Linux, has a wild new UI . 18 March 2018 . Ars Technica . en-US . 26 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190926205306/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/05/googles-fuchsia-smartphone-os-dumps-linux-has-a-wild-new-ui/ . live .
  5. Web site: With Flutter, Google Aims Dart to Mobile App Cross-Development . 2022-03-17 . InfoQ . en . 2022-04-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220428184556/https://www.infoq.com/news/2015/12/flutter-dart-cross-platform/ . live .
  6. Web site: 2018-12-05 . Google announces Flutter 1.0, the first stable release of its cross-platform mobile development toolkit . 2022-03-17 . Android Police . en-US . 2022-05-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220525203749/https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/12/05/google-announces-flutter-1-0-the-first-stable-release-of-its-cross-platform-mobile-development-toolkit/ . live .
  7. Web site: Claburn . Thomas . Google's multi-platform app framework Flutter reaches version 2, expands to the web . theregister.com . 3 Mar 2021.
  8. Web site: Going global at Google Pay with Flutter. 2024-04-02. 2024-03-31. https://web.archive.org/web/20240331162532/https://flutter.dev/showcase/google-pay. live.
  9. Web site: Schoon . Ben . Google Earth gets a redesigned Android app with Projects support, removes Voyager . 9to5google.com . September 26, 2023.
  10. Web site: Check out the new @googleearth for iOS, Android, and web with UI built using Flutter, all from a single codebase . 2024-04-02 . 2024-04-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402152321/https://twitter.com/FlutterDev/status/1708908434068779376 . live .
  11. Web site: Lardinois . Frederic . Google's Flutter 3 adds support for macOS and Linux desktop apps . TechCrunch . 11 May 2022 . On the mobile side, companies like WeChat, ByteDance, Betterment, SHEIN and BMW are now betting on Flutter — as does Google itself..
  12. Web site: Increasing productivity by 33% at ByteDance with Flutter . 2024-04-02 . 2024-04-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402152323/https://flutter.dev/showcase/bytedance . live .
  13. Web site: Lardinois . Frederic . Google's cross-platform Flutter UI toolkit hits version 1.0 . TechCrunch . 4 December 2018.
  14. Web site: Alibaba scales China's largest second-hand marketplace with Flutter. 2024-04-02. 2024-03-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20240330211322/https://flutter.dev/showcase/alibaba-group. live.
  15. Web site: Flutter architectural overview . 2024-07-26 . docs.flutter.dev . en.
  16. Web site: Claburn . Thomas . Apps made with Google's Flutter may fritter away CPU cycles. Here's what the web giant intends to do about it . theregister.com . 12 Nov 2021 . It does so by relying heavily on Skia, a graphics-rendering engine written in C/C++ that uses a device's CPU or GPU to draw app interfaces on its own, without relying on native platform interface libraries..
  17. Book: Windmill . Eric . Rischpater . Ray . Flutter in action . 2020 . Manning Publications Co . Shelter Island, NY . 9781617296147 . 12,16.
  18. Web site: Introduction to widgets . 2022-10-06 . docs.flutter.dev . en . 2022-10-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006224251/https://docs.flutter.dev/development/ui/widgets-intro . live .
  19. Web site: Flame . 2022-10-06 . flame-engine.org . 2022-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220927120146/https://flame-engine.org/ . live .
  20. Web site: Anderson . Tim . Google reports 80% spike of Flutter-built apps in Play Store as 1.20 is released . theregister.com . 5 Aug 2020 . In general the design style follows Google’s Material Design guidelines, making it particularly at home on Android (as you would expect from Google), but there is also support for Cupertino widgets for a native iOS look and feel..
  21. Web site: Flutter's Compilation Patterns. stephenwzl. 2018-08-01. ProAndroidDev. 2018-12-06. 2020-06-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20200609092357/https://proandroiddev.com/flutters-compilation-patterns-24e139d14177?gi=d859295eb74b. live.
  22. Web site: Lardinois . Frederic . Google's Flutter showcases new graphics capabilities, WebAssembly and RISC-V support . TechCrunch . 25 January 2023.
  23. Web site: Thomsen . Michael . 2024-05-14 . Landing Flutter 3.22 and Dart 3.4 at Google I/O 2024 . 2024-05-17 . Flutter . en.
  24. Web site: Using packages . 2022-10-06 . docs.flutter.dev . en . 2022-10-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006225502/https://docs.flutter.dev/development/packages-and-plugins/using-packages . live .
  25. Web site: foundation library - Dart API. docs.flutter.dev. en. 2017-12-13. 2020-06-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200616033708/https://api.flutter.dev/flutter/foundation/foundation-library.html. live.
  26. Web site: Flutter architectural overview . 2024-07-26 . docs.flutter.dev . en.
  27. Web site: Impeller rendering engine . 2024-05-17 . docs.flutter.dev . en.
  28. Web site: Bradshaw . Kyle . Google releases Flutter 3.7, teases future of app development framework . 9to5google.com . January 25, 2023.
  29. Web site: Technical Overview - Flutter. flutter.dev. en. 2017-12-13. 2020-06-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20200616033742/https://flutter.dev/docs/resources/technical-overview. live.
  30. Web site: Amadeo . Ron . 1 May 2015 . Google's Dart language on Android aims for Java-free, 120 FPS apps . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150506182812/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2015/05/googles-dart-language-on-android-aims-for-java-free-120-fps-apps/ . 6 May 2015 . 13 December 2017 . Ars Technica .
  31. Web site: Amadeo . Ron . Google bridges Android and iOS development with Flutter 1.0 . Ars Technica . en-us . 4 December 2018.
  32. Web site: Siddiqui . Aamir . Google releases Flutter 1.17 and Dart 2.8 stable SDKs for app development . XDA . en . 6 May 2020 . Flutter now uses Metal by default when building for supported iOS devices, making Flutter apps run faster..
  33. Web site: Lardinois . Frederic . Version 2 of Google's Flutter toolkit adds support for desktop and web apps . TechCrunch . 3 March 2021.
  34. Web site: Wander . Zachary . Dart 2.12 has been released, with null-safety and C interoperability . XDA . en . 3 March 2021.
  35. Web site: Claburn . Thomas . Google's Dart language soon won't take null for an answer . theregister.com . 9 Dec 2022.
  36. Web site: Claburn . Thomas . Google's Flutter app development framework now stable across platforms . theregister.com . 11 May 2022.
  37. Web site: Google's Flutter UI Toolkit Forked As Flock . Larabel . Michael . 29 October 2024 . 30 October 2024 . phoronix.com.
  38. Web site: Krill . Paul . Google's Flutter framework has been forked . InfoWorld.
  39. Web site: What's New in Flutter 2025 . Team . Irohub . 2025-06-24 . Irohub . 2025-12-09.

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