transfer_manager_flutter

Zero-configuration Android/iOS facade for transfer_manager. It configures durable storage, Android WorkManager, iOS background URLSession, retry fallbacks, completion notifications, notification taps, and artifact actions.

Installation

dependencies:
  transfer_manager_flutter: ^2.2.1

Setup

Initialize Flutter before creating the manager. Keep one manager for the app lifetime.

import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
import 'package:transfer_manager_flutter/transfer_manager_flutter.dart';

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

  final transfers = await FlutterTransferManager.create(
    requestNotificationPermission: true,
  );

  runApp(MyApp(transfers: transfers));
}

Request notification permission from visible UI if you do not request it during creation:

if (!await transfers.notificationsEnabled()) {
  await transfers.requestNotificationPermission();
}

Download with completion notification

final task = await transfers.download(
  Uri.parse('https://example.com/report.pdf'),
  fileName: 'report.pdf',
  showNotification: true,
  openFromNotification: NotificationOpenType.open,
);

iOS Live Activity

After adding the Widget Extension described in the iOS package README, Live Activity progress is one option on a download:

final task = await transfers.download(
  Uri.parse('https://example.com/large-file.zip'),
  fileName: 'large-file.zip',
  showNotification: true,
  showLiveActivity: true,
  liveActivityStyle: LiveActivityStyle.detailed,
  allowPauseFromLiveActivity: true,
  allowCancelFromLiveActivity: true,
);

Available layouts are system, compact, detailed, and prominent. iOS 16.1+ shows progress. Direct Pause/Resume and Cancel controls require iOS 17+. After a successful download, the controls become Open and Reveal.

NotificationOpenType.open performs task.open() after the user taps the notification. Use NotificationOpenType.reveal to perform task.reveal(). No tap listener or initial-tap handling is needed.

Android performs this action directly from the notification, without waiting for Flutter application startup. iOS performs it after the UI resumes. Set showNotification: false to suppress the completion notification. Android may still show required foreground progress while a background download runs.

Default downloads use Android MediaStore Downloads and iOS Documents exposed through Files. Use TransferDestination.file(path) for an explicit path.

Notification taps remain available for optional app-specific handling:

final tapSubscription = transfers.notificationTaps.listen((tap) {
  appRouter.go('/downloads/${tap.taskId}');
});

Completed download tasks can also be opened or revealed directly:

await task.open();
await task.reveal();

Call close() when the application-owned manager is no longer needed:

await tapSubscription.cancel();
await transfers.close();

Libraries

transfer_manager_flutter