How Do You Run an App in the Background in Flutter?

Flutter doesn't natively support running apps in the background for extended periods. However, you can achieve background functionality using specific techniques and plugins.

Background Execution Limitations

• Android: Android limits background execution to conserve battery life.
• iOS: iOS has similar restrictions on background tasks, but with more flexibility.

Techniques and Plugins

• Background Tasks: Use plugins like workmanager, flutter_background_service, or background_fetch to run tasks in the background.
• Notifications: Utilize the flutter_local_notifications plugin to display notifications when the app is in the background.
• Headless Tasks: Utilize the flutter_background_task plugin to run tasks without an active UI.

Example: Using workmanager

import 'package:workmanager/workmanager.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(MyApp());
  Workmanager().initialize(
    callbackDispatcher,
    isInDebugMode: true,
  );
}

void callbackDispatcher() {
  Workmanager().registerPeriodicTask(
    "1",
    "simpleTask",
    frequency: Duration(minutes: 15),
  );
}

void simpleTask() {
  // Code to execute in the background
  print("Running background task");
}

This code registers a periodic task that runs every 15 minutes, even when the app is closed.

Best Practices

• Minimize Background Activity: Avoid excessive background processing to ensure good battery life.
• Use Notifications: Notify users when background tasks are completed.
• Respect System Limits: Follow platform guidelines for background execution.