Building and Deployment

import java.io.FileInputStream
import java.util.Properties

val keystoreProperties = Properties()
val keystorePropertiesFile = rootProject.file("key.properties")
if (keystorePropertiesFile.exists()) {
    keystoreProperties.load(FileInputStream(keystorePropertiesFile))
}

android {
    // ...
    signingConfigs {
        create("release") {
            keyAlias = keystoreProperties["keyAlias"] as String
            keyPassword = keystoreProperties["keyPassword"] as String
            storeFile = keystoreProperties["storeFile"]?.let { file(it) }
            storePassword = keystoreProperties["storePassword"] as String
        }
    }
    buildTypes {
        release {
            signingConfig = signingConfigs.getByName("release")
        }
    }
}

With Play App Signing, Google stores the app signing key and you only manage the upload key. Before release, double-check the applicationId, app name, icon and requested permissions.

Releasing on iOS

Publishing to the App Store requires membership in the Apple Developer Program.

1. Register the app in App Store Connect and choose its bundle identifier.
2. Open ios/Runner.xcworkspace in Xcode and set the team and bundle identifier under Signing & Capabilities.
3. Run flutter build ipa. Output goes to build/ios/ipa and build/ios/archive.
4. Upload the build with Apple's Transporter app or the Xcode Organizer, test it through TestFlight, then submit it for review.

Web and desktop

The web build in build/web is a set of static files, so any static host works: Firebase Hosting, GitHub Pages, Nginx and so on. If the app uses in-app paths, configure the server to serve index.html for every route.

The Windows build lands in build/windows/x64/runner/Release; ship the executable together with its DLLs and the data folder. The msix package can produce an MSIX installer for the Microsoft Store. macOS apps are signed in Xcode and notarized before distribution.

Obfuscation and release checklist

Release builds for Android, iOS and desktop can obfuscate Dart code. Keep the generated symbol files; you need them to read crash stack traces.

flutter build appbundle --obfuscate --split-debug-info=build/symbols

Before shipping, check:

• Performance and behavior in release mode on real devices (flutter run --release)
• App icon and launch screen (packages such as flutter_launcher_icons help)
• Store listing details: privacy policy, description, screenshots and content rating
• That flutter analyze and flutter test both pass

Summary

• Ship by producing release builds with flutter build <target>.
• Manage the version with version (name plus build number) in pubspec.yaml.
• Upload a signed App Bundle on Android; on iOS, configure signing in Xcode and upload the output of flutter build ipa.
• Host web builds as static files and distribute the whole build folder for desktop apps.

Learn more in the official documentation:

• Build and release an Android app
• Build and release an iOS app
• Build and release a web app
• Build and release a Windows desktop app
• Build and release a macOS app
• Build and release a Linux app
• Obfuscate Dart code