mapbox-flutter-patterns

Mapbox Flutter Integration Patterns

Official patterns for integrating the Mapbox Maps SDK for Flutter (mapbox_maps_flutter) on iOS and Android with Dart.

Use this skill when:

• Installing and configuring mapbox_maps_flutter in a Flutter app
• Setting the Mapbox access token the right way
• Initializing a MapWidget with camera / style options
• Adding annotations (points, circles, lines, polygons) and handling taps
• Showing the user location puck
• Loading GeoJSON from app assets
• Troubleshooting iOS build failures after adding Mapbox

Official Resources:

• Flutter Maps Guides
• API Reference on pub.dev
• Example App

Web and desktop are not supported — the Flutter SDK targets iOS and Android only.

---

Installation & Setup

Requirements

• Flutter SDK 3.22.3 / Dart 3.4.4+
• iOS: deployment target 14.0 or higher
• Android: minSdk 21 or higher
• Free Mapbox account

Step 1: Add the dependency

# pubspec.yaml
dependencies:
  mapbox_maps_flutter: ^2.0.0

flutter pub get

Step 2: Bump the iOS deployment target to 14.0 (required)

This is the single most common cause of iOS build failures after adding Mapbox. The Flutter SDK requires iOS 14.0 and will not compile on the Flutter default.

1. Open ios/Runner.xcworkspace in Xcode.

2. Select the Runner target → General → set Minimum Deployments → iOS to 14.0.

3. If ios/Podfile exists, update the platform line too:

   # ios/Podfile
   platform :ios, '14.0'
   

You do not need to worry about CocoaPods vs Swift Package Manager — mapbox_maps_flutter supports both and Flutter picks whichever your app is configured for.

Step 3: iOS location permission

Add the purpose string to ios/Runner/Info.plist:

<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>Show your location on the map</string>

Step 4: Android permissions

Add to android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />

Step 5: Configure the access token

The recommended pattern is to pass the token via --dart-define at build/run time and set it on MapboxOptions before creating any MapWidget.

flutter run --dart-define=ACCESS_TOKEN=pk.your_token_here

// main.dart
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:mapbox_maps_flutter/mapbox_maps_flutter.dart';

const accessToken = String.fromEnvironment('ACCESS_TOKEN');

void main() {
  MapboxOptions.setAccessToken(accessToken);
  runApp(const MaterialApp(home: MapScreen()));
}

Never hard-code tokens in source. For CI, pass --dart-define=ACCESS_TOKEN=$MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN.

---

Map Initialization

Basic map

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:mapbox_maps_flutter/mapbox_maps_flutter.dart';

class MapScreen extends StatelessWidget {
  const MapScreen({super.key});

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      body: MapWidget(
        key: const ValueKey('mapWidget'),
        cameraOptions: CameraOptions(
          center: Point(coordinates: Position(-122.4194, 37.7749)),
          zoom: 12,
        ),
        styleUri: MapboxStyles.STANDARD,
      ),
    );
  }
}

Grab the MapboxMap controller

class MapScreen extends StatefulWidget {
  const MapScreen({super.key});

  @override
  State<MapScreen> createState() => _MapScreenState();
}

class _MapScreenState extends State<MapScreen> {
  MapboxMap? mapboxMap;

  void _onMapCreated(MapboxMap controller) {
    mapboxMap = controller;
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MapWidget(
      key: const ValueKey('mapWidget'),
      onMapCreated: _onMapCreated,
      cameraOptions: CameraOptions(
        center: Point(coordinates: Position(-122.4194, 37.7749)),
        zoom: 12,
      ),
    );
  }
}

---

Add Annotations

Use mapboxMap.annotations to create managers for point, circle, polyline, and polygon annotations. Managers are long-lived — create them once and reuse for updates.

Point annotations with a custom image

import 'package:flutter/services.dart' show rootBundle;

PointAnnotationManager? pointAnnotationManager;

Future<void> _addMarkers(MapboxMap mapboxMap) async {
  pointAnnotationManager = await mapboxMap.annotations.createPointAnnotationManager();

  final bytes = await rootBundle.load('assets/marker.png');
  final imageBytes = bytes.buffer.asUint8List();

  final options = <PointAnnotationOptions>[
    PointAnnotationOptions(
      geometry: Point(coordinates: Position(-122.4194, 37.7749)),
      image: imageBytes,
      iconSize: 1.2,
    ),
    PointAnnotationOptions(
      geometry: Point(coordinates: Position(-122.4094, 37.7849)),
      image: imageBytes,
    ),
  ];

  await pointAnnotationManager!.createMulti(options);
}

Remember to register the asset in pubspec.yaml:

flutter:
  assets:
    - assets/marker.png

Tap handling

Use manager.tapEvents — this is the current API. addOnPointAnnotationClickListener is deprecated.

tapEvents returns a Cancelable that you store and invoke .cancel() on when the listener is no longer needed:

final Cancelable tapSubscription = pointAnnotationManager!.tapEvents(
  onTap: (annotation) {
    debugPrint('Tapped annotation ${annotation.id}');
  },
);

@override
void dispose() {
  tapSubscription.cancel();
  super.dispose();
}

The same pattern — returning a Cancelable — exists on every manager's longPressEvents and dragEvents, and across the other annotation types (CircleAnnotationManager.tapEvents, etc.).

Load annotations from GeoJSON

import 'dart:convert';
import 'package:flutter/services.dart' show rootBundle;

Future<void> _loadGeoJson(MapboxMap mapboxMap) async {
  final raw = await rootBundle.loadString('assets/coffee_shops.geojson');
  final geo = jsonDecode(raw) as Map<String, dynamic>;
  final features = (geo['features'] as List).cast<Map<String, dynamic>>();

  final manager = await mapboxMap.annotations.createPointAnnotationManager();
  final icon = (await rootBundle.load('assets/coffee.png')).buffer.asUint8List();

  final options = features.map((feature) {
    final coords = feature['geometry']['coordinates'] as List;
    return PointAnnotationOptions(
      geometry: Point(coordinates: Position(coords[0] as double, coords[1] as double)),
      image: icon,
    );
  }).toList();

  await manager.createMulti(options);
}

For thousands of features use a style layer (GeoJsonSource + SymbolLayer) instead of annotations.

---

Show User Location

Permissions must already be granted (use permission_handler or similar) before enabling the puck.

await mapboxMap.location.updateSettings(LocationComponentSettings(
  enabled: true,
  puckBearingEnabled: true,
  locationPuck: LocationPuck(
    locationPuck2D: DefaultLocationPuck2D(),
  ),
));

---

Camera Control

// Instant jump
await mapboxMap.setCamera(CameraOptions(
  center: Point(coordinates: Position(-80.1263, 25.7845)),
  zoom: 14,
));

// Animated fly-to
await mapboxMap.flyTo(
  CameraOptions(
    center: Point(coordinates: Position(-80.1263, 25.7845)),
    zoom: 17,
    bearing: 180,
    pitch: 30,
  ),
  MapAnimationOptions(duration: 2000),
);

---

Troubleshooting

iOS build fails with "platform is lower than deployment target"

The Flutter default iOS deployment target is lower than Mapbox's minimum (iOS 14). Set Minimum Deployments → iOS to 14.0 on the Runner target in Xcode. If the project has an ios/Podfile, also set platform :ios, '14.0' there and re-run pod install.

setAccessToken not called

If you forget to call MapboxOptions.setAccessToken before creating a MapWidget, the map will load with a blank grid. Always call it in main() before runApp.

Annotation tap handler not firing

Make sure you're using manager.tapEvents(onTap: ...) — addOnPointAnnotationClickListener is deprecated. Also confirm the MapboxMap controller is captured via onMapCreated before you create the annotation manager.

Hot reload after permissions change

iOS/Android will not re-read manifests or Info.plist on hot reload. Fully restart the app after editing permissions.

---

Reference Files

• references/annotations.md — Circle, Polyline, Polygon patterns and GeoJSON source/layer recipes.
• references/platform-setup.md — Deeper iOS/Android setup, token strategies, release signing notes.

---

Additional Resources

• Flutter Maps Guides
• Markers and Annotations guide
• User Location guide
• Example App