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Flutter 3.44 includes updates across web, Android, and Apple platform tooling, with a focus on build system and dependency management changes.
Key highlights include:
- Web hot reload enabled by default
- Android Gradle Plugin 9 support and built-in Kotlin migration
- Swift Package Manager becoming the default dependency manager for iOS and macOS
- Hybrid Composition++ for Android native view integration improvements
- Agentic Hot Reload via the Dart/Flutter MCP server
The official release notes provide a full breakdown: What's New in Flutter 3.44.
After upgrading a production project from Flutter 3.41.x to 3.44, several migration-related changes became apparent. This guide walks through the practical implications of migrating to AGP 9 and Swift Package Manager, building on lessons from previous releases like Flutter 3.24 and Dart 3.5 and Flutter 3.29 updates.
Android migration: Upgrading to AGP 9 and built-in Kotlin
Flutter 3.44 introduces support for Android Gradle Plugin 9 and shifts toward built-in Kotlin configuration.
Existing projects require updating Gradle configuration following Flutter's migration guide: Flutter built-in Kotlin migration guide. The migration is mostly mechanical, but parts of the ecosystem are still adapting. Even some plugins maintained by the Flutter team remain in migration, alongside community-maintained packages like firebase_remote_config, device_info_plus, and sentry_flutter.
The Flutter team added backward compatibility, expected to be removed in future releases. Report migration issues to plugin maintainers to ensure continuous builds. For projects or plugins not yet migrated to AGP 9, add these flags to gradle. propertie
Swift Package Manager becomes the default for Apple platforms
One of the most significant changes in Flutter 3.44 is the switch to Swift Package Manager (SPM) as the default dependency manager for iOS and macOS, replacing CocoaPods as the primary setup mechanism for new projects.
However, plugin support is still in transition. Similar to built-in Kotlin, many plugins already support SPM, but not all have fully migrated yet (like permission_handler), so make sure to report it to each plugin author.
Analyzer issues with Swift Package Manager integration
A side effect of the new SPM-based workflow is that generated plugin code may appear under:
This can cause the Dart analyzer to report a large number of false positive errors, as it attempts to index generated or duplicated source files with incorrect paths. A temporary workaround is to exclude all those files from the analysis_options.yaml file:
If needed, you can follow the status of this issue here.
Other notable changes in Flutter 3.44
Beyond migration changes, Flutter 3.44 introduces broader platform improvements:
- AI-assisted development tools: Agentic Hot Reload via the Flutter MCP server, allowing external agents to trigger hot reload workflows automatically
- Android performance improvements: Hybrid Composition++ (HCPP) for improved native view embedding performance by delegating layer compositing to the operating system
- Framework evolution: Material and Cupertino libraries are being frozen and prepared for extraction into separate packages, decoupling framework components from the core SDK
- Desktop and platform expansion: Experimental improvements to multi-window desktop support
These improvements build on trends highlighted in Flutter in 2024 breakthroughs. For optimization strategies, see our Flutter performance optimization best practices and best practices every Flutter developer should follow.
Conclusion
Most changes in Flutter 3.44 center on platform tooling, build systems, and dependency management. The upgrade remains straightforward in most projects, but the ecosystem is in a transition phase. Applications continue to build thanks to backward compatibility, yet migration warnings and plugin maintenance status are increasingly relevant when planning upgrades.
At Somnio Software, we help teams navigate complex migrations and deliver production-ready solutions. Our Flutter app development services leverage deep Flutter expertise to accelerate time-to-market while minimizing execution risk. Contact us to turn your vision into reality with tailored, high-quality solutions.
