Building Adaptive Layouts with MediaQuery and LayoutBuilder in Flutter

Introduction

Adaptive UIs are crucial for delivering consistent experiences across devices. In Flutter, building adaptive layouts means handling diverse screen sizes, orientations, and pixel densities. This tutorial dives into using MediaQuery and LayoutBuilder to implement Flutter adaptive layouts that scale elegantly from phones to tablets and desktops. You’ll learn how to query device metrics, respond to constraints, and compose flexible widgets without relying on fixed dimensions.

Understanding MediaQuery

MediaQuery exposes information about the device’s screen and user preferences at runtime. Use it to read dimensions, orientation, and text scaling. Common properties include:

• size: screen width and height

• orientation: portrait or landscape

• devicePixelRatio: logical-to-physical pixel ratio

• padding and viewInsets: safe areas and keyboard insets

Example: detect a breakpoint at 600px to switch between mobile and tablet UI.

Widget adaptiveHeader(BuildContext context) {
  final width = MediaQuery.of(context).size.width;
  if (width > 600) {
    return Text('Tablet Header', style: TextStyle(fontSize: 24));
  }
  return Text('Mobile Header', style: TextStyle(fontSize: 18));
}

This snippet shows a simple Flutter adaptive layout using MediaQuery. By querying size, it selects the appropriate typography.

Leveraging LayoutBuilder

While MediaQuery gives global metrics, LayoutBuilder lets a widget adapt to its parent’s constraints. It rebuilds whenever its maximum width or height changes, ideal for creating flexible components.

Key use cases:

• Switch between vertical and horizontal lists based on available width

• Adjust padding or grid columns dynamically

• Collapse or expand widgets inside cards

class AdaptiveGrid extends StatelessWidget {
  final List<Widget> items;
  AdaptiveGrid({required this.items});
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return LayoutBuilder(builder: (context, constraints) {
      int cols = constraints.maxWidth > 800 ? 4 : constraints.maxWidth > 600 ? 3 : 2;
      return GridView.count(
        crossAxisCount: cols,
        children: items,
      );
    });
  }
}

Here, AdaptiveGrid changes its column count based on the parent width. This pattern is a building block for responsive layout and Flutter adaptive layouts.

Combining MediaQuery and LayoutBuilder

In complex scenarios, combine both tools. MediaQuery handles global breakpoints and orientation, while LayoutBuilder adapts nested components to container size. For example, create a master-detail view:

class MasterDetail extends StatelessWidget {
  final Widget master, detail;
  MasterDetail({required this.master, required this.detail});
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    final isWide = MediaQuery.of(context).size.width > 720;
    return isWide
        ? Row(children: [Expanded(child: master), VerticalDivider(), Expanded(child: detail)])
        : master;
  }
}

Then wrap detail in a Navigator or show it via a modal bottom sheet on narrow screens. Use MediaQuery for layout mode, LayoutBuilder inside master/detail to render lists or forms responsively.

Best practices:

• Define breakpoints centrally to avoid magic numbers

• Favor flexible widgets (Expanded, Flexible) over fixed widths

• Respect safe areas via MediaQuery.padding

• Use LayoutBuilder to scope responsiveness to subtrees

Practical Tips for Flutter adaptive layouts

• OrientationBuilder: switch layouts on device rotation

• Fallbacks: define minimum widths/heights to prevent cramped UIs

• Text scaling: use MediaQuery.textScaleFactor to adjust font sizes

• Theme adjustments: toggle colorScheme or typography for larger screens

Example of orientation-aware layout:

OrientationBuilder(builder: (context, orientation) {
  return GridView.builder(
    gridDelegate: SliverGridDelegateWithFixedCrossAxisCount(
      crossAxisCount: orientation == Orientation.portrait ? 2 : 4,
    ),
    itemBuilder: (_, index) => Card(child: Text('Item $index')),
    itemCount: 20,
  );
});

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Conclusion

Building robust, Flutter adaptive layouts hinges on understanding device constraints and responding to them in your widgets. MediaQuery offers a global snapshot of screen metrics, while LayoutBuilder empowers components to self-size within their containers. By combining these APIs with flexible widgets and well-defined breakpoints, you can craft interfaces that feel native on any device form factor.