Crafting OS-Level Experiences with Flutter Desktop

Flutter is no longer just for mobile apps, it’s becoming a viable option for building production-ready desktop applications. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to move beyond UI and craft true OS-level experiences with Flutter Desktop. You’ll see how to create custom window frames with window_manager and flutter_acrylic, add multi-window support with desktop_multi_window, keep your app running in the background using window_manager and tray_manager, and register global shortcuts with hotkey_manager. We’ll also extend Flutter with platform channels, integrate Rust via Dart FFI, and spawn external processes using Dart’s Process API. By the end, you’ll see how Flutter can give you the same level of control you expect from native desktop development, without leaving Dart behind.

Key Takeaways:
- Build multi-window applications with custom window frames.
- Run Flutter apps in the background with system tray integration.
- Register OS-level shortcuts.
- Extend Flutter with platform channels and Dart FFI.
- Spawn and manage external processes using Dart’s Process API.