firebase_update

Flutter force update, maintenance mode, patch notes, and custom update UI driven by Firebase Remote Config.

pub.dev License: BSD-3-Clause

firebase_update gives you one Remote Config payload and one package that can:

  • block old builds with a force update
  • show dismissible optional updates with snooze and skip-version behavior
  • turn on maintenance mode instantly
  • render patch notes in plain text or HTML
  • react to real-time Remote Config changes without an app restart
  • use package-managed UI or fully custom surfaces

Screenshots

Optional update dialog Optional update sheet Force update dialog Force update sheet

Maintenance dialog Maintenance sheet Full-screen custom maintenance Expanded patch notes

Why this package

Most update-gate packages handle only one narrow case. Production apps usually need all of these:

  • real-time response during incidents
  • optional updates that users can defer safely
  • hard blocking for incompatible builds
  • maintenance mode that wins over every other state
  • an escape hatch for fully custom UI when branding or layout demands it

firebase_update is built around those transitions instead of treating them as separate packages or ad hoc dialogs.

Features

  • Real-time Remote Config listening
  • Optional update dialog or bottom sheet
  • Force update dialog or bottom sheet
  • Maintenance mode dialog, sheet, or fully custom blocking surface
  • Snooze with version-aware reset
  • Persistent skip-version
  • Plain text and HTML patch notes
  • FirebaseUpdateBuilder for reactive inline UI
  • FirebaseUpdateCard for drop-in in-app surfaces
  • Presentation theming, typography, labels, and icon overrides
  • allowDebugBack for debug-only escape on blocking overlays
  • onBeforePresent hook for preloading GIFs, images, or any async dependencies before showing an overlay
  • Shorebird patch surface support

Installation

dart pub add firebase_update

This package expects Firebase to already be configured in your app.

Quick start

Initialize after Firebase.initializeApp() and pass the same navigatorKey to MaterialApp.

import 'package:firebase_core/firebase_core.dart';
import 'package:firebase_update/firebase_update.dart';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

final rootNavigatorKey = GlobalKey<NavigatorState>();

Future<void> main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  await Firebase.initializeApp();

  await FirebaseUpdate.instance.initialize(
    navigatorKey: rootNavigatorKey,
    config: const FirebaseUpdateConfig(),
  );

  runApp(
    MaterialApp(
      navigatorKey: rootNavigatorKey,
      home: const Placeholder(),
    ),
  );
}

Remote Config schema

Create a Remote Config parameter named firebase_update_config whose value is a JSON string.

{
  "min_version": "2.5.0",
  "latest_version": "2.6.0",
  "optional_update_title": "Update available",
  "optional_update_message": "A smoother release is ready.",
  "force_update_message": "This release contains required security fixes.",
  "maintenance_title": "Scheduled maintenance",
  "maintenance_message": "",
  "patch_notes": "Faster startup\nCleaner onboarding\nBug fixes",
  "patch_notes_format": "text",
  "store_url_android": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app",
  "store_url_ios": "https://apps.apple.com/app/id000000000"
}

Supported fields

Field Purpose
min_version Minimum supported version. If current < min_version, force update is shown.
latest_version Latest available version. If current < latest_version and the minimum is satisfied, optional update is shown.
maintenance_title Title for maintenance mode.
maintenance_message Non-empty value activates maintenance mode.
force_update_title Optional force-update title override.
force_update_message Optional force-update body override.
optional_update_title Optional optional-update title override.
optional_update_message Optional optional-update body override.
patch_notes Patch notes shown beside update prompts.
patch_notes_format text or html.
store_url_android, store_url_ios, store_url_macos, store_url_windows, store_url_linux, store_url_web Remote-configured store URLs that override local fallback URLs.

State priority

Only one state is active at a time:

  1. maintenance
  2. force update
  3. optional update
  4. up to date

Payload examples

Optional update

Use this when you want to encourage upgrades without blocking the app.

{
  "min_version": "2.0.0",
  "latest_version": "2.6.0",
  "optional_update_title": "Update available",
  "optional_update_message": "Version 2.6.0 is ready with a smoother experience.",
  "patch_notes": "Faster startup · Cleaner onboarding · Bug fixes.",
  "patch_notes_format": "text"
}

Optional update dialog Optional update sheet

Force update

Use this when the installed app version is no longer safe or compatible.

{
  "min_version": "2.5.0",
  "latest_version": "2.6.0",
  "force_update_message": "This release contains required security fixes.",
  "patch_notes": "<ul><li>Critical security patches</li><li>Required backend compatibility</li></ul>",
  "patch_notes_format": "html"
}

Force update dialog Force update sheet

Maintenance mode

Use this when you need to temporarily gate the app without shipping a new build.

{
  "maintenance_title": "Scheduled maintenance",
  "maintenance_message": "We're upgrading our servers. We'll be back shortly."
}

Maintenance dialog Maintenance sheet

Custom full-screen maintenance

Use the same maintenance payload, but replace the package default surface with your own branded takeover.

FirebaseUpdateConfig(
  onBeforePresent: (context, state) async {
    await precacheImage(
      const NetworkImage('https://example.com/maintenance.gif'),
      context,
    );
  },
  maintenanceWidget: (context, data) => MyMaintenanceTakeover(data: data),
)
Custom full-screen maintenance takeover

Long patch notes

When patch notes run long, the default UI collapses the content and expands it in-place with Read more / Show less.

{
  "min_version": "2.0.0",
  "latest_version": "2.6.0",
  "optional_update_title": "Update available",
  "optional_update_message": "Version 2.6.0 has arrived.",
  "patch_notes": "Redesigned home screen with cleaner navigation bar\nDark mode across all screens and components\n40% faster app startup time\nNew notifications centre with grouped alerts and filters\nImproved search with smart suggestions and history\nOffline mode for core reading and browsing features\nFull VoiceOver and TalkBack accessibility support\nFixed checkout edge cases on older Android devices\nApple Pay and Google Pay now available in all regions",
  "patch_notes_format": "text"
}
Expanded patch notes

How it works

State resolution

Every time the payload changes, the package resolves exactly one state.

maintenance_message non-empty?  -> maintenance
current < min_version?          -> forceUpdate
current < latest_version?       -> optionalUpdate
otherwise                       -> upToDate

Only one overlay is shown at a time. If the state changes while one is already visible, the existing overlay is dismissed first and the higher-priority one takes its place.

Snooze and skip-version

  • Later with no snoozeDuration dismisses the optional update for the current app session
  • snoozeDuration persists the dismiss until the timer expires
  • snooze is version-aware, so a newer latest_version clears the older snooze immediately
  • showSkipVersion: true adds a persistent "Skip this version" action for optional updates

Common configurations

Optional update with snooze

FirebaseUpdateConfig(
  snoozeDuration: const Duration(hours: 24),
  showSkipVersion: true,
)

Force update as a bottom sheet

FirebaseUpdateConfig(
  useBottomSheetForForceUpdate: true,
)

Debug-only blocking escape

FirebaseUpdateConfig(
  allowDebugBack: true,
)

Preload assets before a custom overlay appears

FirebaseUpdateConfig(
  onBeforePresent: (context, state) async {
    await precacheImage(
      const NetworkImage('https://example.com/maintenance.gif'),
      context,
    );
  },
  maintenanceWidget: (context, data) => const MyFullScreenMaintenance(),
)

Custom UI

You can replace any package-managed surface independently.

FirebaseUpdateConfig(
  optionalUpdateWidget: (context, data) => MyOptionalUpdateSheet(data: data),
  forceUpdateWidget: (context, data) => MyForceUpdateGate(data: data),
  maintenanceWidget: (context, data) => MyMaintenanceTakeover(data: data),
)

Each builder receives FirebaseUpdatePresentationData, which already contains:

  • resolved title and state
  • primary and secondary labels
  • wired callbacks like onUpdateClick, onLaterClick, and onSkipClick
  • dismiss flags for package-managed containers

Reactive widgets

Use FirebaseUpdateBuilder when you want to render update state inside your own screen.

FirebaseUpdateBuilder(
  builder: (context, state) {
    if (state.kind == FirebaseUpdateKind.optionalUpdate) {
      return Text('Update ${state.latestVersion} is available');
    }
    return const SizedBox.shrink();
  },
)

Or drop in FirebaseUpdateCard for a built-in inline surface.

API highlights

FirebaseUpdate.instance

  • initialize(...)
  • checkNow()
  • applyPayload(...)
  • stream
  • currentState
  • snoozeOptionalUpdate(...)
  • dismissOptionalUpdateForSession()
  • skipVersion(...)
  • clearSnooze()
  • clearSkippedVersion()

FirebaseUpdateConfig

Key options include:

  • listenToRealtimeUpdates
  • enableDefaultPresentation
  • useBottomSheetForOptionalUpdate
  • useBottomSheetForForceUpdate
  • useBottomSheetForMaintenance
  • presentation
  • optionalUpdateWidget
  • forceUpdateWidget
  • maintenanceWidget
  • allowDebugBack
  • onBeforePresent
  • showSkipVersion
  • snoozeDuration
  • fallbackStoreUrls
  • preferencesStore

Example app

The repo includes a complete example app under example/ that demonstrates:

  • package-managed dialogs and sheets
  • long patch-note layouts
  • live JSON payload testing
  • a custom full-screen maintenance takeover with preloaded network media

Testing and screenshots

Run the package tests:

flutter test

Run the example integration tests:

cd example
flutter test integration_test/update_flow_test.dart -d <device-id>

Regenerate the README screenshots:

./scripts/take_screenshots.sh -d <device-id>

Libraries

firebase_update