🐝 Bee Dynamic Launcher

JSON-driven launcher icons for Flutter — change the home-screen app icon on Android and iOS from Dart, and optionally use a CLI so your Android and iOS projects stay aligned with the same catalog.json and icon assets.

On this page: Screenshots · Overview · Platform · Requirements · Getting started · CLI · Android · iOS · API · Troubleshooting

🍯 Screenshots

Demo (GIF)

iOS	Android

Launcher Result

iOS launcher	Android launcher

iOS System Confirmation

📖 Overview

You need	This package provides
Multiple branded / seasonal launcher icons	One `catalog.json` + `ic_<id>.png` masters per variant
Previews inside Flutter (`Image.asset`)	`LauncherCatalog` + stable preview asset paths
The icon on the home screen / drawer	`BeeDynamicLauncher.applyVariant(id)` via one `MethodChannel`
Native projects staying in sync	`dart run bee_dynamic_launcher` (after one-time setup in Android / iOS) — activity aliases, `Info.plist`, mipmaps, asset sets

Two layers — don’t confuse them:

Layer	Mechanism	Use for
In-app	`LauncherCatalog`, `previewIconAssetPath`	Pickers, settings, onboarding
OS launcher	`initialize` → `applyVariant`	What users see outside your app

Persistence of the user’s choice is not built in — store variantId (e.g. shared_preferences) and call applyVariant after initialize when you need to restore.

Dependencies: at runtime, flutter + this package only. The CLI’s image tooling runs on your machine when you execute dart run; it is not shipped as extra runtime weight in release builds.

✨ Platform support

	Android	iOS
Switch home-screen icon	✅	✅
JSON catalog + in-app previews	✅	✅
Variant ids from Dart (`initialize`) — no native hard-coded list	✅	✅
CLI: validate, manifest/plist, resize	✅	✅
Remember last choice	Your app	Your app

Method channel: dev.bee.bee_dynamic_launcher/launcher — use this package’s registration only; do not add a duplicate channel for the same feature.

📋 Requirements

Flutter 3.24+ · Dart 3.5+
Android: embedding v2
iOS: 12.0+ (podspec)

🚀 Getting started

1 · Install

dependencies:
  bee_dynamic_launcher: ^1.0.0

flutter:
  assets:
    - assets/bee_dynamic_launcher/catalog.json
    - assets/bee_dynamic_launcher/icons/

flutter pub get

2 · Catalog & files

Path	Role
`assets/bee_dynamic_launcher/catalog.json`	`id`, `displayName`, `launcherLabel`; optional `primaryVariantId` (map form)
`assets/bee_dynamic_launcher/icons/ic_<id>.png`	Master PNG: UI previews + CLI source for mipmaps / Xcode icons

{
  "primaryVariantId": "brand_a",
  "variants": [
    { "id": "brand_a", "displayName": "Brand A", "launcherLabel": "My App" },
    { "id": "brand_b", "displayName": "Brand B", "launcherLabel": "My App Alt" }
  ]
}

primaryVariantId must exist in variants and matches your default shipped icon.

3 · Initialize native side

Call before getAvailableVariants, getCurrentVariant, or applyVariant.

Recommended:

import 'package:bee_dynamic_launcher/bee_dynamic_launcher.dart';

Future<void> setupLauncher() async {
  await BeeDynamicLauncher.initializeFromCatalog();
}

Manual:

await LauncherCatalog.instance.loadFromBundle();
final cat = LauncherCatalog.instance;
await BeeDynamicLauncher.initialize(
  variantIds: cat.allIds,
  primaryVariantId: cat.primaryVariantId,
);

initialize registers variant ids and the primary id with Android and iOS (used for default icon naming). You do not maintain a second copy of the id list in native code beyond what the CLI generates for manifests and assets.

4 · In-app picker (previews)

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:bee_dynamic_launcher/bee_dynamic_launcher.dart';

Widget buildPickerGrid() {
  final catalog = LauncherCatalog.instance;
  return GridView.builder(
    padding: const EdgeInsets.all(16),
    gridDelegate: const SliverGridDelegateWithFixedCrossAxisCount(
      crossAxisCount: 2,
      crossAxisSpacing: 12,
      mainAxisSpacing: 12,
    ),
    itemCount: catalog.variants.length,
    itemBuilder: (context, i) {
      final e = catalog.variants[i];
      return Column(
        children: [
          Expanded(
            child: ClipRRect(
              borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(12),
              child: Image.asset(e.previewIconAssetPath, fit: BoxFit.cover),
            ),
          ),
          const SizedBox(height: 8),
          Text(e.displayName, maxLines: 1, overflow: TextOverflow.ellipsis),
        ],
      );
    },
  );
}

Catalog helpers: hasVariants, variantCount, allIds, allPreviewIconAssetPaths, containsVariant, variantEntryFor, displayNameFor, launcherLabelFor.

5 · Apply system launcher icon

await BeeDynamicLauncher.applyVariant('brand_b');

final String? active = await BeeDynamicLauncher.getCurrentVariant();
final List<String> ids = await BeeDynamicLauncher.getAvailableVariants();

6 · Full flow (StatefulWidget)

import 'package:bee_dynamic_launcher/bee_dynamic_launcher.dart';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

class LauncherSettingsPage extends StatefulWidget {
  const LauncherSettingsPage({super.key});
  @override
  State<LauncherSettingsPage> createState() => _LauncherSettingsPageState();
}

class _LauncherSettingsPageState extends State<LauncherSettingsPage> {
  bool _ready = false;
  String? _activeId;

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _boot();
  }

  Future<void> _boot() async {
    await BeeDynamicLauncher.initializeFromCatalog();
    final cur = await BeeDynamicLauncher.getCurrentVariant();
    if (!mounted) return;
    setState(() {
      _ready = true;
      _activeId = cur;
    });
  }

  Future<void> _select(String id) async {
    await BeeDynamicLauncher.applyVariant(id);
    final again = await BeeDynamicLauncher.getCurrentVariant();
    if (!mounted) return;
    setState(() => _activeId = again ?? id);
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    if (!_ready) return const Center(child: CircularProgressIndicator());
    final cat = LauncherCatalog.instance;
    return ListView(
      children: [
        for (final e in cat.variants)
          ListTile(
            leading: Image.asset(e.previewIconAssetPath, width: 48, height: 48),
            title: Text(e.displayName),
            subtitle: Text(e.id),
            trailing: _activeId == e.id ? const Icon(Icons.check) : null,
            onTap: () => _select(e.id),
          ),
      ],
    );
  }
}

Restore a saved id after cold start: read storage → initialize → if saved != await getCurrentVariant() then applyVariant(saved).

🧰 CLI (native sync)

The CLI ships with this package. After you add bee_dynamic_launcher under dependencies (see Getting started), run it from your Flutter app root — the same folder as pubspec.yaml and assets/bee_dynamic_launcher/:

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher [flags]

One-time native setup: Commands that modify AndroidManifest.xml, Info.plist, or launcher_strings_generated.xml require the sentinel comments described under Android and iOS. --scan only reads your catalog and icon files. --icons-only only regenerates image outputs (no manifest or plist text changes).

Invocation	What it does
(no arguments)	Validate assets → Android + iOS codegen → mipmaps + iOS icons
`--help` or `-h`	Print usage; no file changes
`--scan`	List variant ids from `catalog.json` vs `icons/ic_*.png`; no file changes
`--scan --strict`	Like `--scan`, but fails if the two sets differ
`--check-android-manifest`	Check `android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml` launcher config; no writes
`--check-ios-pbxproj`	Check `ios/Runner.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj` for alternate icon build setting; no writes
`--native-only` or `--skip-icons`	Codegen strings + manifest alias block + `Info.plist` alternates; skips image resize
`--icons-only`	Android mipmaps + iOS alternate icon PNGs; skips manifest / plist / strings codegen
`--wizard`	Interactively append variants to `catalog.json` (stdin); add `ic_<id>.png` then run again
`--icons-only` + `--native-only`	Error (use one mode at a time)

Examples

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --help

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --scan
dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --scan --strict
dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --check-android-manifest
dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --check-ios-pbxproj

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --native-only
dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --skip-icons

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --icons-only

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --wizard

🤖 Android

Where to edit


File (your Flutter app)	`android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml`
Scope	Inside the `<application>` element — same file where `<activity android:name=".MainActivity" …>` is declared.

What you add manually (once)

You only add two HTML comments as start/end sentinels. The CLI will replace everything between them with generated <activity-alias> blocks on each run.

Put the pair after your main Activity (MainActivity), still inside <application>:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
    <application
        android:label="…"
        android:icon="…"
        …>
        <activity
            android:name=".MainActivity"
            …>
        </activity>

        <!-- LAUNCHER_ACTIVITY_ALIASES_BEGIN -->
        <!-- LAUNCHER_ACTIVITY_ALIASES_END -->
    </application>
</manifest>

First time: the region between BEGIN and END can be empty (only a newline) — then run dart run bee_dynamic_launcher from the app project root (where pubspec.yaml lives).
After that: do not delete the two comment lines; when your catalog changes, run the CLI again so the middle is regenerated.
Aliases use android:targetActivity=".MainActivity" — your MainActivity must stay the real Flutter entry. Many white-label setups move the MAIN/LAUNCHER intent-filter from MainActivity onto one enabled alias only; align with what the codegen outputs for primaryVariantId.

What the CLI updates (same app module)

Region between the markers (activity-alias list).
res/values/launcher_strings_generated.xml
Legacy mipmaps under res/mipmap-*/
Adaptive icon XML under res/mipmap-anydpi-v26/ and foreground layers under res/mipmap-*/

At runtime, variant ids come from Dart (BeeDynamicLauncher.initialize); you do not edit a separate hand-maintained list in Kotlin for each variant id.

Quick validation only (no file modification):

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --check-android-manifest

🍎 iOS

Where to edit


File	`ios/Runner/Info.plist`
Scope	Under the root `<dict>` — you need `UIApplicationSupportsAlternateIcons`, and a `CFBundleIcons` → `CFBundleAlternateIcons` dictionary with the markers inside `CFBundleAlternateIcons`.

Exact placement map (Info.plist)

plist
└── dict (root)
    ├── UIApplicationSupportsAlternateIcons = true
    └── CFBundleIcons (dict)
        ├── CFBundlePrimaryIcon (dict)        # usually already exists
        └── CFBundleAlternateIcons (dict)     # add this if missing
            ├── <!-- LAUNCHER_CFBundleAlternateIcons_BEGIN -->
            └── <!-- LAUNCHER_CFBundleAlternateIcons_END -->

Markers must be direct children of CFBundleAlternateIcons (not at root level, not outside CFBundleIcons).

What you add manually (once)

UIApplicationSupportsAlternateIcons must be true (if missing, add it next to your other top-level keys).
Inside CFBundleIcons, ensure there is a CFBundleAlternateIcons key whose value is a <dict>. Put the BEGIN/END comments inside that inner dict — the CLI replaces only that region.

Minimal skeleton (if you have no alternate icons yet):

<key>UIApplicationSupportsAlternateIcons</key>
<true/>
<key>CFBundleIcons</key>
<dict>
    <key>CFBundleAlternateIcons</key>
    <dict>
        <!-- LAUNCHER_CFBundleAlternateIcons_BEGIN -->
        <!-- LAUNCHER_CFBundleAlternateIcons_END -->
    </dict>
</dict>

If CFBundleIcons already exists (e.g. Xcode added CFBundlePrimaryIcon for AppIcon), add CFBundleAlternateIcons as a sibling key next to CFBundlePrimaryIcon — do not put the markers outside CFBundleAlternateIcons.

<key>CFBundleIcons</key>
<dict>
    <key>CFBundlePrimaryIcon</key>
    <dict>
        …
    </dict>
    <key>CFBundleAlternateIcons</key>
    <dict>
        <!-- LAUNCHER_CFBundleAlternateIcons_BEGIN -->
        <!-- LAUNCHER_CFBundleAlternateIcons_END -->
    </dict>
</dict>

First run: empty region between BEGIN/END is OK; then dart run bee_dynamic_launcher fills alternate icon entries to match your catalog.
Primary icon set stays in Assets.xcassets (e.g. AppIcon); alternates are generated beside it by the CLI.

Xcode build setting (required)

Alternate icon sets must be included in the compiled asset catalog. In Runner.xcodeproj, each Runner build configuration needs:

ASSETCATALOG_COMPILER_INCLUDE_ALL_APPICON_ASSETS = YES

The CLI enforces this automatically when you run:

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --native-only

Quick validation only (no file modification):

dart run bee_dynamic_launcher --check-ios-pbxproj

If your app uses a custom iOS target/project layout and the CLI cannot patch project.pbxproj, set this value manually in Xcode for Debug, Release, and Profile.

Manual position in Xcode UI

Open ios/Runner.xcworkspace in Xcode.
Select project navigator item Runner (blue icon).
Select target Runner (under TARGETS, not PROJECT).
Open Build Settings tab.
Search for Include All App Icon Assets.
Set ASSETCATALOG_COMPILER_INCLUDE_ALL_APPICON_ASSETS to YES for:
- Debug
- Release
- Profile

If you edit raw project.pbxproj, place this key in the same buildSettings block as ASSETCATALOG_COMPILER_APPICON_NAME = AppIcon;.

Plugin note

Do not register a second launcher MethodChannel in AppDelegate — this package registers it.

📚 API reference