How to determine if an app is native or flutter

V

9

24

I would like to know whether a given mobile app is native or written using flutter. Is there any way to know that from the build files (apk, ipa.. etc). How can I detect if an app is native or flutter?

Viehmann answered 1/10, 2019 at 8:49 Comment(2)

Just decompile the application and see the structure. – Staging 1/10, 2019 at 9:25

I see a problem with your code – Quoth 1/10, 2019 at 9:47

F

15

You can find whether an app is using flutter or not by using the following method,

Extract the apk file. You can simply rename the file extension to .zip and extract it.
Navigate to the lib folder.
You will find a list of subfolders for different architectures.
The subfolder will contain a libflutter.so file. This libflutter.so will be present in all flutter apps.

Here is a screenshot of the file from the Flutter Gallery app.

Fiber answered 3/10, 2019 at 13:16 Comment(0)

M

10

One can check from the phone by enabling layout bounds. If the app show bounds around all component then it might be developed with native android or react native. Still, in the case of flutter, it directly accesses canvas from the native side and paints on it, so it will not show any bounds around the components due to the direct use of canvas.

Here is SS of the app made with Flutter and native or other frame work which uses the native component.

Flutter

Native Component
.

Maladminister answered 27/3, 2022 at 16:42 Comment(0)

S

8

Of course, you can find out by extracting the APK. But there is another simple way:

Install the app on your device, then open it and check list or grid in the UI.

If you feel that when you scroll with two fingers, the speed doubles, and when you scroll with one finger, then the application is developed in Flutter.

Sower answered 27/10, 2022 at 11:16 Comment(3)

Brillant ideia...just works – Any 6/9, 2023 at 14:53

This is a interesting way to tell if an app is written in Flutter, for those curious, here is the link: github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/11884 . I don't think this is an issue but a feature. – Pourpoint 6/11, 2023 at 23:1

This is the easiest way I think – Corbin 7/2 at 6:8

U

4

Upload the apk file on http://www.javadecompilers.com/apk

If you find a folder flutter in sources so this app is a flutter app

Unmake answered 1/10, 2019 at 9:23 Comment(4)

I uploaded my flutter app to the mentioned website but there is no folder named flutter – Viehmann 1/10, 2019 at 13:0

I don't have any more information to know if the application is flutter or native. – Unmake 1/10, 2019 at 14:43

@Yuvaraj so it is a native one – Youngster 6/10, 2020 at 11:10

every apk will have a p016io folder? – Aram 2/3, 2022 at 9:23

A

3

Simple solution:

Activation of the tile:

Developer Options ON
Quick settings developer tiles
Show layout bounds

Open app, swipe down from the top of the screen and touch icon layout to enable show layout bound.
Flutter app won't show small pieces layout of UI but Native app does.

Antibaryon answered 17/9, 2021 at 22:41 Comment(1)

Nice solution. And this solution is possible by using your phone. – Strapped 2/2, 2022 at 15:21

S

2

We can do the Finger-scroll test.

Start by scrolling the app with one finger, then use two fingers. Make sure you are scrolling at the same pace. If the speed of the scroll increases with every finger you add, then it's built using Flutter.

Sportive answered 22/12, 2022 at 4:41 Comment(0)

F

2

FlutterShark app (developed by myself) can help you determine if an app is built with Flutter. Take Google Ads app as an example.

Install Google Ads app on your device first.
Install FlutterShark app on your device. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluttershark.fluttersharkapp
Open FlutterShark app. FlutterShark app will be able to list all the apps built with Flutter on your device. More than that, FlutterShark app will help you identify Flutter version and all the Flutter packages used inside the app.It is helpful for Flutter developers to gain technology insight to Flutter apps on the market.

Have fun with Flutter!

Forget answered 16/3, 2023 at 3:21 Comment(1)

Welcome to Stack Overflow! Please keep in mind that you need to explicitly state that the app is developed by you to comply with SO's self-promotion rules. You can lear more here: stackoverflow.com/help/promotion – Also 21/3, 2023 at 2:28

W

1

download and decode apk with apktool

java -jar apktool.*.jar d file.apk -o output

open up AndroidManifest.xml in a text editor
search for occurrences of flutter within the file

if using vim, at the terminal prompt,

vim +/flutter +"set hlsearch" AndroidManifest.xml

such occurrences could be flutter plugins and 'flutterEmbedding' which is responsible for integrating flutter within an Android app.

Wadlinger answered 9/12, 2021 at 22:22 Comment(0)

B

0

you can easily install flutter shark https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluttershark.fluttersharkapp

Butterandeggs answered 12/3 at 5:19 Comment(0)

Recommended topics

Hot tags