Flutter 3.44 to Default to Swift Package Manager, Ending CocoaPods Era

Flutter 3.44 will make Swift Package Manager (SwiftPM) the default dependency manager for iOS and macOS apps, phasing out CocoaPods entirely. The change takes effect in the next stable release, marking a major shift for the Flutter ecosystem. Developers will no longer need Ruby or CocoaPods installations to run their apps.

“This transition aligns Flutter with Apple’s supported dependency solution and ensures long-term compatibility,” said a Flutter team spokesperson. “CocoaPods is in maintenance mode, and its registry goes read-only on December 2, 2026.”

Background

CocoaPods, once the standard for managing iOS dependencies, has been in maintenance mode for months. Its registry will permanently become read-only on December 2, 2026, meaning no new versions or pods will be added. Existing builds will still function, but updates will cease.

Flutter’s move to SwiftPM aims to provide ongoing dependency updates and access to the growing Swift package ecosystem. The Flutter CLI will handle the migration for app developers automatically when they run or build their iOS/macOS projects.

What This Means

For App Developers

The migration process is largely automatic. When you run flutter run or build your app, the CLI updates the Xcode project to use SwiftPM. However, if your app depends on plugins that haven’t adopted SwiftPM yet, Flutter will print a warning listing unsupported dependencies.

Flutter will temporarily fall back to CocoaPods for those unadopted plugins—but only for a limited time. “If a plugin breaks your build because it hasn’t updated, file an issue with the maintainer or find an alternative,” the spokesperson advised.

If SwiftPM causes a breaking issue, you can temporarily disable it in your pubspec.yaml:

flutter:
  config:
    enable-swift-package-manager: false

If you opt out, please file a bug report using the Flutter GitHub issue template with error details, plugin list, and Xcode project files.

For Plugin Developers

Plugin authors must add SwiftPM support if they haven’t already. Currently, 61% of the top 100 iOS plugins have migrated. To encourage adoption, packages without SwiftPM support now receive lower pub.dev scores.

“We need the remaining plugins on board so app developers aren’t stuck relying on a deprecated tool,” the spokesperson emphasized. To add support, include a Package.swift file and restructure source files to match the standard Swift package layout. If you migrated during the 2025 pilot, you must now add FlutterFramework as a dependency in your Package.swift.

Migration Documentation

Detailed migration guides are available for both app developers and plugin developers. Visit the Flutter migration docs for full instructions.

The shift marks the end of an era for CocoaPods, but opens the door to a more modern, Apple-native dependency management system. “Developers should act now to ensure their projects remain compatible,” the Flutter team warned.