Common Technical Mistakes Flutter App Developers Should Avoid

Web Design, Mobile App Development, & Online Advertising in Singapore.

Flutter app development has become a favorite option among app developers. This is because of its cross-platform capabilities, fast development cycles, and rich set of tools.

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However, even experienced Flutter developers can fall into common pitfalls that can hinder app performance, user experience, or overall quality.

In this blog post, I’ve shared some common technical mistakes your app developer should avoid during Flutter app development to ensure high-quality results.

1. Overusing setState()

One of the biggest mistakes Flutter developers make is overusing setState() for state management. While it’s simple, relying on it too much, especially in large apps, can lead to inefficient rebuilds and sluggish performance. 

Consider using advanced state management tools like Provider, Bloc, or Riverpod.

2. Neglecting Responsive Design

In Flutter app development, hardcoding values for padding, margins, or widget sizes can lead to issues on different screen sizes. 

Instead, an app developer should use MediaQuery or LayoutBuilder to create responsive layouts that adapt to various devices and screen orientations.

3. Skipping Proper State Management

Not opting for the right state management can cause issues in app scalability. When the app grows, managing state with improper techniques leads to code that is difficult to maintain. 

Your developer can evaluate options like Provider, Bloc, or GetX to handle state efficiently.

5. Not Using Keys Correctly

Key objects in Flutter ensure that widgets retain their state during rebuilds. Failing to assign keys in scenarios like lists or form fields can lead to unintended behavior, such as resetting values unexpectedly.

6. Neglecting Performance Optimization

Flutter developers sometimes overlook performance bottlenecks. Inefficient rebuilds, large images, and long-running tasks on the main thread can slow down your app. 

Use Flutter DevTools to profile your app and make necessary optimizations.

7. Hardcoding UI Strings

Embedding UI strings directly into widgets is not a scalable approach. This makes localization and maintenance difficult. 

Instead, the app developers must use the Intl package for handling multiple languages and ensuring a clean codebase.

8. Not Testing on Real Devices

Testing solely on emulators may not give an accurate representation of how your app performs in real-world conditions. 

Flutter developers should always test their apps on real devices to check for performance issues, screen sizes, and hardware capabilities.

9. Forgetting to Dispose of Controllers

Many Flutter developers forget to dispose of controllers, such as TextEditingController or AnimationController, when they are no longer needed. This can cause memory leaks and reduce app performance.

10. Ignoring Asynchronous Programming

In Flutter app development, ignoring async programming practices, such as not using async and await, can lead to blocking the UI thread. 

Always ensure that network calls, file reads, and long-running tasks are handled asynchronously.

11. Unoptimized Images

Using large or uncompressed images without proper optimization is a common mistake. 

Use packages like cached_network_image to load images efficiently and ensure that they are properly compressed to improve performance.

12. Poor Navigation Management

Improper use of navigation can make it difficult for users to navigate through your app. 

Stick to Flutter’s built-in Navigator or go_router for seamless navigation between screens.

13. Not Handling Network Errors

Ignoring network error handling in your Flutter app can result in a poor user experience. 

Use packages like http with proper error handling, retries, and timeouts to ensure your app remains robust during network issues.

14. Overcomplicated Code Structure

Keeping your code clean and modular is essential in Flutter app development. Avoid overcomplicating your code with nested widgets or overly complex architectures. 

Break down widgets and logic into reusable components.

15. Ignoring Platform-Specific Differences

App developers must adapt Flutter apps to behave differently on Android and iOS when required. 

Use platform channels to implement platform-specific features such as camera access or notifications.

16. Skipping Unit and Integration Tests

Skipping unit tests and integration tests may cause unexpected crashes or bugs in production. 

Use Flutter’s test package to write and run automated tests.

17. Not Optimizing App Size

Flutter apps can become unnecessarily large due to unused assets or bloated dependencies. 

Use ProGuard (for Android) and App Thinning (for iOS) to reduce APK/IPA file sizes and ensure efficient resource management.

18. Improper Asset Handling

Flutter developers often fail to properly manage assets like images, fonts, or JSON files. 

Ensure all assets are correctly linked in pubspec.yaml and optimized for both platforms to avoid runtime issues.

19. Skipping Code Reviews

Skipping code reviews can lead to missed bugs, suboptimal code, and poor coding practices. 

Regular code reviews by peers help ensure quality, maintainability, and catch potential issues early in the app development process.