Flutter build apk on release mode cannot generate updated version

Question

I had run this flutter build apk to release my App. Now I had built version 2 of that.

Now, I want to release my version 2 App. So, I run flutter build apk again. I get the released apk but It is still version 1 released apk. I deleted the released apk and tried again but still got version 1 released apk.

While building version 2 in debug mode, everything works fine.

Here is the Github Link to that App: https://github.com/nitishk72/Flutter-Github-API

Answer 1

If your problem is that the flutter build (APK, bundle) isn't making API calls in a real device, this is because you need to add the Internet permission to Android Manifest before creating the release/build.

By default, "internet use" will work fine on the emulator but not on a real device.

To fix this, simply:

Open the file "android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml" and add the proper user-permission:

<manifest> 
...
 <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
...
</manifest>

And then create your build again.

Answer 2

I think you need

flutter clean

(I'd consider it a bug that this is necessary, but I'm encountering it as well)

and

flutter build apk --release

Answer 3

I had facing same problem "Application work properly in Debug mode but not in release mode". I don't know why... but finally, I have solved by adding these lines shrinkResources false minifyEnabled false in android/app/build.gradle file.

 buildTypes {
     release {
         signingConfig signingConfigs.config
         shrinkResources false
         minifyEnabled false
     }
 }

Answer 4

1. you can change in local.properties android project

    sdk.dir=D:/SDK //your android SDK location flutter.sdk=D:\\\\Flutter\\\\flutter //your flutter SDK location flutter.versionName=1.0.0 flutter.versionCode=2 flutter.buildMode=release

2. changes in your android/app/build.gradle file

    buildTypes { release { // if everything ok then not add //minifyEnabled true //another you can remove minifyEnabled true proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard- android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro' signingConfig signingConfigs.release } }

3. you can also changes in android/app/build.gradle defaultConfig method body.

    multiDexEnabled true

4. if you want to migrate to androidx then do it setup.

   dependencies { testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.12' androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test:runner:1.1.1' androidTestImplementation 'androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.1.1' implementation 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'

   }

   5. and clean before create build folder by following this cmd.

       - flutter clean - flutter build apk --release - flutter install

6.Release Apk location.

        in `android studio termial` or inside `project-root` you can navigate to this.

        cd build\app\outputs\apk\release

Answer 5

When you are creating new Flutter project (from Android Studio menu), in file:

/android/app/build.gradle

which is there:

you have:

buildTypes {
    release {
        signingConfig signingConfigs.debug    //   <--- HERE YOU ARE USING DEBUG KEY
    }
}

Which means that release build (eg triggered from menu Build -> Flutter -> Build APK ) will use debug key for signing.

Full build.gradle file (created by Android Studio):

Solution

Change from:

signingConfig signingConfigs.debug

to:

signingConfig signingConfigs.release

so (in build.gradle ) you should have:

buildTypes {
    release {
        signingConfig signingConfigs.release
    }
}

Error

When you have error Could not get unknown property 'release' for SigningConfig - just add section release in build.gradle , so:

1. Create new .jks file (via Generate Signed Bundle / APK...

2. Put credentials in build.gradle (:app) :

   

Answer 6

The problem was that flutter build automatically shrinks the code with R8. flutter build --no-shrink solved the problem. I guess I need to add all required exceptions to the proguard-rules.pro file.

Building apk using the below commands.

1. Enter cd <app dir> (Replace with your application's directory.)

2. flutter build apk --split-per-abi --no-shrink (The flutter build command defaults to --release .)

Removing the --split-per-abi flag results in a fat APK that contains your code compiled for all the target ABIs. Such APKs are larger in size than their split counterparts, causing the user to download native binaries that are not applicable to their device's architecture.

Answer 7

我得到了名为 app-release.apk 的发布版 APK，它的名称为 app-release.apk 但只是在该文件夹之前的文件夹中有另一个 apk app.apk，它在顶部没有调试条，并且在调试模式下工作正常，并且大小几乎一样。

Answer 8

I decide to open the MyProject/android folder in android studio and build the apk from android studio. It finally worked properly.

Answer 9

I hope this can help someone. I ran into a problem that my release version does not works and there are no any error messages in logcat. The problem turned out to be that I had FutureBuilder in which i start Future<void> . By running flutter run it works properly ( snapshot.hasData was true ), but in release version it was always false . Of course, documentation of the FutureBuilder says that hasData should be false in this case. But in fact in debug mode it has different behaviour.

PS Another possible problems: Now my app still not working, but this time i saw on logcat next error:

Unhandled Exception: MissingPluginException(No implementation found for method getAll on channel plugins.flutter.io/shared_preferences)

Downgrading gradle plugin version from 7.* to 3.5.4 solves this issue.

classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.5.4'

Answer 10

1).

add following lines in android\\app\\src\\mainAndroid manifest

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.VIBRATE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>

and then add these lines in android\\app\\build.gradle

   buildTypes {
   release {
        shrinkResources false
        minifyEnabled false
   }}

2).

Building apk using the below commands.

flutter build apk --no-shrink

or

flutter build apk --split-per-abi --no-shrink

Both Solutions worked for me but personally I recommend second one

Answer 11

If you're using an API Call#

Make sure you have the Internet Permission on you android Manifest

<manifest> 
...
 <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
...
</manifest>

If you're using Shared Preferences plugin

In android\\build.gradle set your dependencies to use the classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.5.1'

NOT classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:4.1.0

Like this:

dependencies {
        classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:3.5.1'
        ...
    }