bgeo_background_geolocation

downloads pub

Reliable background geolocation for Flutter — iOS & Android. Motion-aware tracking, an offline HTTP queue, geofences, and headless (killed-app) events, backed by the same closed-source BGeo engine used by the native SDKs — no Dart runs in the background.

Fully functional in DEBUG builds — no license required. Every feature works unlicensed in debug builds and the iOS simulator, so you can evaluate the engine on a real device before buying anything. A key is only needed for release builds — see License keys.

Full docs, guides, and API reference: bgeo.dev/docs/flutter.

Requirements

  • Flutter ≥ 3.22, Dart ≥ 3.4
  • iOS ≥ 15.5, Android minSdk 24

Install

flutter pub add bgeo_background_geolocation

Import with an as bg prefix — the SDK's own State class otherwise collides with Flutter's State<T> widget-state class:

import 'package:bgeo_background_geolocation/bgeo_background_geolocation.dart' as bg;

Android setup

Add the plugin's local Maven repo (it ships the closed engine AAR) to your app's android/app/build.gradle.kts:

repositories {
    maven { url = uri("${project(":bgeo_background_geolocation").projectDir}/libs") }
}

minSdk 24 or higher, and a license meta-data entry in android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml (use the literal string EVALUATION for local dev):

<application>
  <meta-data
    android:name="com.bgeo.license"
    android:value="EVALUATION" />
</application>

Google Play requires the app, not a library, to declare background location:

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

iOS setup

Set the deployment target to 15.5 in ios/Podfile and the Runner target's Xcode build settings, then cd ios && pod install.

Add these keys to ios/Runner/Info.plist:

<key>NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>Explain why your app tracks location in the background.</string>
<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>Explain why your app needs your current location.</string>
<key>NSMotionUsageDescription</key>
<string>Motion activity is used to detect movement and pause tracking when stationary.</string>
<key>BGeoLicense</key>
<string>EVALUATION</string>
<key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
<array>
    <string>location</string>
</array>

Enable the Background Modes capability (Location updates) under Runner → Signing & Capabilities in Xcode.

Full walkthrough, including why each key/permission is required: Installation · Permissions & background location.

Quick start

import 'package:bgeo_background_geolocation/bgeo_background_geolocation.dart' as bg;

Future<void> startTracking() async {
  bg.BackgroundGeolocation.onLocation((location) {
    print('[location] ${location.coords}');
  });

  final state = await bg.BackgroundGeolocation.ready(bg.Config(
    desiredAccuracy: bg.desiredAccuracyHigh,
    distanceFilter: 30,
    stopTimeout: 5, // minutes
    url: 'https://your-server.example/locations',
    stopOnTerminate: false,
    startOnBoot: true,
  ));

  if (!state.enabled) {
    final status = await bg.BackgroundGeolocation.requestPermission();
    if (status == bg.authorizationStatusAlways) {
      await bg.BackgroundGeolocation.start();
    }
  }
}

See Quickstart for the full main.dart, what to expect on first run, and common pitfalls.

Headless events (app killed)

Register a top-level or static function to receive events in a background isolate after the app process is terminated (Android):

@pragma('vm:entry-point')
Future<void> headlessTask(bg.HeadlessEvent event) async {
  print('[bgeo headless] ${event.name} ${event.params}');
}

// ... after ready():
await bg.BackgroundGeolocation.registerHeadlessTask(headlessTask);

See Boot & killed-app tracking.

License

The Dart/native bridge sources are MIT — see LICENSE.

The precompiled engine (ios/BGeoCore.xcframework, the dev.bgeo:bgeo-android AAR) is proprietary and requires a license key in release builds — see LICENSE-BINARY.md. Debug builds and the iOS simulator run without a key.

Libraries

bgeo_background_geolocation