android_restore_credentials

Android-only Flutter plugin for Zero-Tap sign-in restoration using Credential Manager Restore Credentials.

This package is intended to help Flutter apps meet Google Play’s upcoming Zero-Tap Sign-In Restoration requirement by wrapping Android’s Restore Credentials APIs.

Status: Restore Credentials create / get / clear are implemented on Android (Kotlin client + Dart facade). iOS / web / desktop are intentionally not supported.

Platform support

Platform Supported
Android Yes (API 28 / Android 9+) when Restore Credentials is implemented
iOS No
Web No
Desktop No

Restore Credentials is not available on other Flutter platforms. Calls from a multi-platform app should be guarded with defaultTargetPlatform == TargetPlatform.android.

Background

From April 2027, Play apps that support user sign-in (optional or mandatory) must restore signed-in state when a user moves to a new Android device and chooses to restore data (device-to-device or cloud backup).

Manual sign-in during device setup adds friction and can expose users to phishing. The Android Restore Credentials API is the primary way to meet this requirement. It is available from Android 9 and requires Google Play services (GMS) core 24220000+ (version 24.22 or newer) and androidx.credentials 1.5.0+.

The requirement currently applies to mobile and tablet form factors only.

Scope notes (Play policy)

These points come from Play’s technical quality documentation and may change:

  • Apps that integrated Block Store on or before 30 September 2026 to restore sign-in state are considered compliant.
  • Permanently private and enterprise device-management apps are out of scope.
  • Apps with strict regulatory constraints (for example financial services or healthcare) may request an exemption in Play Console before enforcement.
  • Games are currently out of scope; dedicated guidance is expected in 2027.

See Play Console technical quality requirements for the authoritative wording.

Getting started

This repository is managed with FVM. The pinned Flutter SDK is 3.35.7 (see .fvmrc).

dart pub global activate fvm
fvm install
fvm flutter pub get

VS Code / Cursor should pick up the SDK via .vscode/settings.json (dart.flutterSdkPath: .fvm/flutter_sdk).

Add a path or pub dependency when the package is published:

dependencies:
  android_restore_credentials:
    path: ../android_restore_credentials

API

final plugin = AndroidRestoreCredentials();

// After sign-in, with `requestJson` fetched from your RP server.
final attestation = await plugin.createRestoreKey(requestJson: requestJson);

// On first launch / BackupAgent restore, with `requestJson` fetched from your RP.
final assertion = await plugin.getRestoreKey(requestJson: requestJson);

// On sign-out.
await plugin.clearRestoreKey();

requestJson is WebAuthn PublicKeyCredentialCreationOptionsJSON for create and PublicKeyCredentialRequestOptionsJSON for get. The plugin passes strings through; it does not parse WebAuthn JSON beyond what androidx.credentials validates.

Host integration (two-tier restoration)

Restore Credentials should be driven from two tiers in the host app:

  1. Tier 1 — background (BackupAgent.onRestoreFinished): if the host manifest has android:allowBackup="true", call the Kotlin RestoreCredentialsClient.getRestoreKey synchronously (e.g. runBlocking) inside onRestoreFinished so sign-in completes before first UI. Do not use onRestore (key-value only). The plugin does not register a BackupAgent for you; hosts subclass their own and call the same Kotlin client. Do not change allowBackup.

    This runs without a Flutter engine, so the host must do the backend calls in Kotlin directly (fetch options from the RP, call the client, POST the assertion, persist the session). The plugin only provides the client:

    class MyBackupAgent : BackupAgentHelper() {
    override fun onRestoreFinished() {
        runBlocking {
            val options = myRp.fetchRestoreCredentialRequestOptions() // your Kotlin API
            val assertion = RestoreCredentialsClient(applicationContext)
                .getRestoreKey(requestJson = options)
            myRp.verifyRestoreCredentialAndSignIn(assertion)          // your Kotlin API
        }
    }
}

    Register it only in the app manifest: android:allowBackup="true" + android:backupAgent=".MyBackupAgent".

  2. Tier 2 — foreground (first launch): in the launcher Activity.onCreate / Flutter first frame, call getRestoreKey to cover the cases where background restore did not complete, backup is off, or restore is independent of app-data backup. This is what the example/ app demonstrates.

Create a restore key when the user is signed in (after sign-up / sign-in, or on a later launch if already signed in and no key yet). Keep a local flag such as has_synced_restore_credential so you do not create on every launch. Call clearRestoreKey on logout — Credential Manager will not delete restore keys on sign-out automatically, and a typeless clearCredentialState does not remove restore keys.

PlatformException codes

Native failures surface as PlatformException with stable code values:

Code Typical cause
invalid_argument Missing/blank requestJson; invalid WebAuthn JSON / user.id
unsupported_android_version Device API < 28 (Android 9)
create_dom CreateRestoreCredentialDomException (malformed creation options)
e2ee_unavailable Cloud backup requested but unavailable, and the local retry also failed
no_credential NoCredentialException on get (nothing to restore)
get_interrupted / get_canceled Get interrupted or canceled
get_failed Other GetCredentialException
create_failed Other CreateCredentialException
clear_failed ClearCredentialException
unexpected_type Response credential was not RestoreCredential
unknown Anything else

Create retries locally on E2eeUnavailableException before surfacing e2ee_unavailable, so that code is rare.

Backend requirements

This plugin is client-side only. Your relying-party (RP) server must implement the WebAuthn registration/assertion verification and store restore keys. Adapted from Google's Restore Credentials client skill (2026-08-21):

  1. Differentiate restore credentials from passkeys in storage. Standard WebAuthn often assumes user verification. Restore keys are system-managed and hidden. Use a distinct credential type or metadata. Do not show them on passkey management screens. Background restore may skip explicit UV.
  2. Prevent orphaned keys. Uninstall / clear-data deletes the local key and does not call the server. Plan cleanup: replace old keys on new registration, TTL unused keys, at most one key per user per device.
  3. Balance lifespan and TTL. If the user restores, then signs out on the old device, local clear must not immediately invalidate the key the new device still needs. TTL should survive that transition; delete based on registration/usage rules, not only on client clear.
  4. Support multiple devices. Schema: multiple active restore credentials per user (e.g. per device id), not 1:1 user↔key.

The same RP stack as passkeys can verify restore keys, but persist them as a separate class. See Play Help — Zero-Tap Sign-In Restoration and the Android Restore Credentials implementation guide. Full agent notes live in doc/agent/07-backend-reminders.md, with detailed guides for Flutter app integration and backend integration.

Example

The example/ app is a standard Flutter plugin example (Android only). From the repo root:

fvm flutter test
cd example
fvm flutter run

Development

Native Android code lives in android/src/main/kotlin/eu/wunderbytes/android_restore_credentials/. Dart API and method-channel wiring live in lib/.

Planned (not implemented): optional BackupAgent helper hosts can subclass. Architecture and implementation notes for agents are in AGENTS.md and doc/agent/.

About WunderBytes

This plugin is developed and maintained with 💙 by WunderBytes — We get IT done! an expert in AI integrations and custom mobile & app development

Need help integrating Restore Credentials or building a Flutter app? Reach out at wunderbytes.eu or hello@wunderbytes.eu.

License

BSD 3-Clause. See LICENSE.

Libraries

android_restore_credentials
android_restore_credentials_method_channel
android_restore_credentials_platform_interface