Implementing Splash Screens and Animated App Launchers in Flutter

Introduction

A well-designed splash screen sets the tone for your app’s user experience. In Flutter, you can implement both a native Flutter splash screen and an animated app launcher to give users instant feedback and smooth transitions. This tutorial walks you through configuring a Flutter splash screen at the native level, then layering in an in-app animated launcher using simple Dart code.

Adding a Native Splash Screen

Flutter doesn’t include a splash screen by default, but the flutter_native_splash package makes setup straightforward.

1. Add the package to pubspec.yaml:

dev_dependencies:
  flutter_native_splash: ^2.2.7
flutter_native_splash:
  color: "#ffffff"
  image: assets/splash_logo.png
  android: true
  ios: true

2. Place your logo at assets/splash_logo.png and ensure pubspec.yaml includes:

flutter:
  assets

3. Run the generator:

flutter pub get
flutter pub run flutter_native_splash:create

This command configures Android’s launch_background.xml and iOS’s LaunchScreen.storyboard. You now have a native splash that displays instantly on app startup—no Dart code needed.

Creating an Animated Launcher in Flutter

Once the native splash disappears, transition into a custom Flutter widget that animates your logo or waves in content. Below is a simple fade-and-scale animation.

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

class AnimatedSplash extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _AnimatedSplashState createState() => _AnimatedSplashState();
}

class _AnimatedSplashState extends State<AnimatedSplash>
    with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin {
  late AnimationController _controller;

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _controller = AnimationController(
      vsync: this, duration: Duration(milliseconds: 1200))
      ..forward().whenComplete(() {
        Navigator.pushReplacementNamed(context, '/home');
      });
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return FadeTransition(
      opacity: _controller,
      child: ScaleTransition(
        scale: Tween(begin: 0.8, end: 1.0).animate(_controller),
        child: Center(child: Image.asset('assets/splash_logo.png')),
      ),
    );
  }

  @override
  void dispose() {
    _controller.dispose();
    super.dispose();
  }
}

In this snippet, the animated splash screen fades and scales your logo, then routes to /home.

Integrate Splash and Animation with Routing

To combine the native splash and your in-app animated splash, configure the Flutter app entry point as follows:

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'animated_splash.dart';
import 'home_page.dart';

void main() {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  runApp(MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      title: 'Flutter Splash Demo',
      initialRoute: '/',
      routes: {
        '/': (context) => AnimatedSplash(),
        '/home': (context) => HomePage(),
      },
      debugShowCheckedModeBanner: false,
    );
  }
}

By placing AnimatedSplash at route /, your native splash hands off directly to this widget.

Testing on Android and iOS

• Android: Run flutter run on a connected device or emulator. Observe the native splash, followed by your animated launcher.

• iOS: Open ios/Runner.xcworkspace in Xcode, ensure LaunchScreen.storyboard shows your image and background color, then build and run.
  Adjust colors and image sizing in flutter_native_splash config if the iOS splash appears cropped.

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Conclusion

You’ve now implemented a complete Flutter splash screen workflow—using a native splash for zero-latency launch feedback, and a Flutter-based animated app launcher for brand-focused UX. This approach keeps startup times low, while allowing custom transitions and animations.