What is Shorebird?
Shorebird provides code push capabilities for Flutter applications, allowing developers to deploy updates directly to users' devices without going through the app store review process. It's similar to React Native's CodePush but built specifically for Flutter.
Why We Use Shorebird
Shorebird transforms how we deploy Flutter updates:
- Instant Updates: Push fixes to users in minutes, not days
- No Store Review: Bypass app store review for Dart code changes
- Rollback Capability: Instantly revert problematic updates
- Staged Rollouts: Gradually deploy to percentages of users
- Compliance-Friendly: Follows platform guidelines for code updates
Our Shorebird Implementation
We integrate Shorebird for agile deployment:
- Critical Bug Fixes: Ship fixes immediately when issues are discovered
- A/B Testing: Test features with user subsets before full rollout
- Feature Flags: Enable/disable features without new releases
- Regional Rollouts: Deploy to specific regions first
- Version Management: Track and manage deployed patches
When to Use Shorebird
Shorebird excels for:
- Critical bug fixes that can't wait for store review
- Iterating quickly based on user feedback
- A/B testing new features
- Seasonal or time-sensitive content updates
- Hotfixes for production issues
Limitations
Shorebird updates Dart code only—native code changes still require store releases.
