Can Anyone Build a Mobile App in FlutterFlow?

Can anyone build a mobile app in FlutterFlow or is it just for technical people and/or software engineers? I recently had a very pleasant experience of building a mobile app in FlutterFlow and launching it to both App and Google Play stores. As a Fractional CTO and a former software engineer and architect, I had a lot of fun and, although not perfect, found FlutterFlow quite powerful.

Nevertheless, throughout the process I kept thinking that a non-technical person would find it hard to use FlutterFlow. Additionally, I recently came across a youtube video where this person completely trashed FlutterFlow, claiming that you cannot fully complete a project and custom widgets do not work. Neither of those claims were true for me as I finished the product, completed everything I wanted to do (and some more), and implemented a number of customizations.

With all that said, I wanted to share some thoughts on what is required in order to effectively use FlutterFlow and who it is for and who it is not for.

Concepts You Need to Understand to Build

Apps in FlutterFlow

To effectively use FlutterFlow, there are some fundamental software engineering concepts you need to grasp. While FlutterFlow simplifies a lot of the development process, it still requires a foundational understanding of how software applications are structured and behave. If you are new to development, some of these concepts may take time to learn, but they are important for building within FlutterFlow effectively.

UI/UX Design

Understanding the basics of UI/UX will help you structure layouts, align elements, and create visually coherent apps.

• Visual concepts: spacing, positioning, alignments, rows, columns, grids, etc.
• Styling: color themes, typography, and responsiveness.

Database Fundamentals

Even in a no-code tool, you need to understand how data is structured, stored, and retrieved. FlutterFlow primarily uses Firestore, a NoSQL database, so familiarity with database concepts will be important.

• Database design: organizing data into structured tables.
• Data structure: defining fields, data types, and relationships.
• Basic querying: reading, updating, and deleting records.
• Firestore security rules: managing access permissions and protecting data.

Working with Components

FlutterFlow provides a set of building blocks, but you need to know how to use them effectively. Although not an extensive list, here are some examples:

• Layout elements: containers, rows, columns, stacks, and grids.
• UI elements: buttons, images, text, icons, and forms (text fields, dropdowns, checkboxes).
• Navigation elements: app bars, drawers, back buttons, and navigation bars.

Variable State Management

Understanding state management is important when it comes to controlling what data is stored and how it persists across screens.

• Page-level state: variables that are specific to a single screen.
• App-level state: variables that persist throughout the app.

Basic App Logic and Behaviors

While you may not need to write traditional code, logic still plays a fundamental role in making your app functional.

• User interactions: handling button clicks, page transitions, and conditional visibility.
• Data binding: dynamically displaying and updating information.
• Logic design: navigation, conditional statements, and error handling (e.g., showing snackbars).

APIs and Integrations

To connect your app with external services, you need to understand how APIs work.

• Endpoints: how data is sent and received.
• Authentication: managing tokens and security.
• JSON structure: understanding how data is formatted and parsed.

Customization and Extensibility

FlutterFlow provides a lot out-of-the-box, but for more complex apps, you may need custom solutions. In this case you need to apply pure software development, using the Dart programming language

• Custom actions & functions: extending functionality beyond built-in options.
• Third-party packages: integrating external tools and services.
• Custom widgets: creating specialized UI components.

Debugging and Testing

Your app won’t work perfectly the first time, so knowing how to troubleshoot issues is critical.

• Basic debugging: identifying and fixing errors.
• Running in test mode vs. production: ensuring a smooth deployment process.

If you understand these core concepts, you will be better equipped to build apps in FlutterFlow efficiently. Without them, the process can quickly become frustrating, as you will find yourself learning software development and FlutterFlow at the same time—a steep learning curve that may not be worth the effort if you are starting from scratch.

Advanced FlutterFlow Concepts

Although FlutterFlow allows direct deployment to App Store and Google Play Store that is a very involved process, which typically happens towards the end of your development process. In the meantime there might be use cases where you need to test a certain functionality on your local phone device as opposed to just in a web browser or a simulator. Here is a classic example I had to deal with – local notifications. 

The app I built required a daily reminder capability by displaying local notifications on the phone. The only way to test this functionality is by running the app on an actual phone. This is where it gets very tricky and technical, because you have to learn how to deploy and run the app on an iPhone and an Android phone without deploying to any of the stores.

Another use case I had to deal with was having to manually modify the AndroidManifest.xml file. This was necessary in order to enable scheduling of local notifications on an Android phone. Because manipulation of the AndroidManifest.xml is not available in FlutterFlow, I had to:

• Download the source code locally on my computer.
• Modify the AndroidManifest.xml file.
• Manually build the code and package it in an .apk file, then install it on my phone.
• When the app was finished and ready for the Google Play store, I had to manually build it in an .aab file and load it into the Play store.

   

If you have no idea what I am talking about, the next section will make that much more sense to you.

Is FlutterFlow for You?

If you have some technical background and are comfortable with software concepts, you will likely find FlutterFlow to be a useful and efficient tool. It streamlines the process of building mobile apps while still giving you control over design, data, logic, and customization.

For those without a technical background, however, FlutterFlow can be overwhelming. While it removes the need to write traditional code, it does not eliminate the need to think like a developer. You still need to understand how screens interact, how data is stored and retrieved, and how different elements work together to create a functional app. Additionally, chances are that you will have a use case or more, where custom functionality will be necessary and you will have to write custom code.

If you already have experience building software, learning FlutterFlow will be fairly intuitive. The platform provides a structured way to apply what you already know, and the available documentation helps fill in the gaps. However, if you are starting from scratch, you will be learning both software development and FlutterFlow at the same time. That can make the experience frustrating rather than productive.

Think of it this way: 

If you had a magic 3D printer, which could quickly print any car part, would you be able to build a car? Not unless you are an automobile engineer and you know how cars are designed and built.

If you are comfortable with databases, logic flows, and app structures, FlutterFlow is worth exploring. If these concepts are new to you, be prepared for a steep learning curve.