Introduction

Responsive design is essential for Flutter apps to look great on devices of all sizes. Flutter’s built-in MediaQuery API lets you adapt layouts dynamically based on screen dimensions, orientation, and device pixel density. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to master mediaquery to build flexible, scalable Flutter interfaces. We’ll cover accessing screen dimensions, creating adaptive widgets, handling orientation changes, and applying breakpoints. No fluff—just precise, code-forward guidance.

Accessing Screen Dimensions with MediaQuery

The first step in responsive design is retrieving the device’s width, height, and pixel ratio. MediaQuery.of(context) returns a MediaQueryData object with all relevant properties:

Widget build(BuildContext context) {
  final mq = MediaQuery.of(context);
  final screenWidth = mq.size.width;
  final screenHeight = mq.size.height;
  final pixelRatio = mq.devicePixelRatio;

  return Scaffold(
    body: Center(
      child: Text(
        'Width: ${screenWidth.toStringAsFixed(0)}\n'
        'Height: ${screenHeight.toStringAsFixed(0)}\n'
        'Pixel Ratio: $pixelRatio',
        textAlign: TextAlign.center,
      ),
    ),
  );
}

Key MediaQueryData properties:

• size.width and size.height – logical pixels

• devicePixelRatio – device’s pixel density

• orientation – Orientation.portrait or Orientation.landscape

• padding – safe area insets

Implementing Responsive Layouts

Once you have screen dimensions, you can scale UI elements proportionally. Instead of hard-coding sizes, calculate widget dimensions relative to screen width or height. For example, use fractional widths for buttons, images, and spacing:

Widget build(BuildContext context) {
  final width = MediaQuery.of(context).size.width;
  return Padding(
    padding: EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: width * 0.05),
    child: Column(
      children: [
        SizedBox(height: width * 0.1),
        Container(
          width: width * 0.9,
          height: width * 0.5,
          color: Colors.blueAccent,
          child: Center(child: Text('Responsive Box')),
        ),
        SizedBox(height: width * 0.05),
        ElevatedButton(
          onPressed: () {},
          style: ElevatedButton.styleFrom(
            minimumSize: Size(width * 0.8, 50),
          ),
          child: Text('Press Me'),
        ),
      ],
    ),
  );
}

Tips for adaptive layouts:

• Define a design guideline (e.g., base width of 375px) and scale factor = actualWidth / baseWidth.

• Apply scale factor to font sizes, icons, and padding.

• Use MediaQueryData.textScaleFactor for dynamic font scaling.

Handling Orientation and Breakpoints

Device orientation impacts available real estate. You can switch layouts between portrait and landscape using MediaQuery.of(context).orientation:

Widget build(BuildContext context) {
  var orientation = MediaQuery.of(context).orientation;
  return orientation == Orientation.portrait
    ? Column(children: buildPortraitWidgets())
    : Row(children: buildLandscapeWidgets());
}

For more granular control, define your own breakpoints. Example breakpoints:

• Mobile: width < 600

• Tablet: 600 ≤ width < 1024

• Desktop: width ≥ 1024

Use conditional logic to swap widgets or adjust grid columns:

Widget build(BuildContext context) {
  final width = MediaQuery.of(context).size.width;
  if (width >= 1024) {
    return DesktopLayout();
  } else if (width >= 600) {
    return TabletLayout();
  } else {
    return MobileLayout();
  }
}

Integrating with Flutter Widgets and Packages

Many Flutter widgets and third-party packages already consider media query and responsive design. Some recommendations:

LayoutBuilder: Provides BoxConstraints, letting you build differently for different maxWidth and maxHeight.

Flexible and Expanded: Allocate space proportionally within Row or Column.

FittedBox: Scales and positions its child within itself

flutter_screenutil: A popular package for handling responsive dimensions and text scaling with a simple API.

Combine MediaQueryData with these widgets to fine-tune your UI for any screen size.

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Conclusion

Mastering mediaquery in Flutter equips you to build interfaces that adapt fluidly across devices. By retrieving MediaQueryData for screen dimensions, orientation, and pixel ratio, you can implement responsive layouts, define breakpoints, and leverage both built-in and third-party widgets. This approach ensures your app looks polished on phones, tablets, and desktops alike. Apply these techniques to elevate your Flutter projects and deliver consistent user experiences—regardless of screen size.