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Critical iOS Build Failure with google_ml_kit_face_detection - Deployment Target Issue

Troubleshooting

Hello FlutterFlow Team,

I am writing to report a critical and persistent build issue on the iOS platform when using the google_mlkit_face_detection package. Despite multiple attempts and systematic debugging, the problem consistently points to a fundamental incompatibility between the package's requirements and the default iOS deployment target set by FlutterFlow projects.

1. The Core Problem:

The google_ml_kit_face_detection package (and its dependency google_mlkit_commons) requires a minimum iOS deployment target of 15.5 or higher. However, FlutterFlow projects appear to default to an earlier iOS version (e.g., 12.0 or 13.0). This mismatch causes the pod install command to fail during the build process, making it impossible to build or test the app on an iOS simulator or device.

What have you tried so far?

2. Error Messages Received:

The error is consistent across different projects. The key log output from the build process is:

[!] CocoaPods could not find compatible versions for pod "google_mlkit_commons":

In Podfile:

google_mlkit_commons (from .symlinks/plugins/google_mlkit_commons/ios)

Specs satisfying the google_mlkit_commons (from .symlinks/plugins/google_mlkit_commons/ios`)` dependency were found, but they required a higher minimum deployment target.

Error: The plugin "google_mlkit_commons" requires a higher minimum iOS deployment version than your application is targeting.

To build, increase your application's deployment target to at least 15.5...)

3. Steps We Have Taken to Isolate the Issue:

To ensure this was not an issue with my specific project, I have performed the following tests:

  • Test on Main Project: The app fails to build on iOS Test Mode only when google_mlkit_face_detection is added as a dependency. When the package is removed, the app builds and runs perfectly.

  • Test on a New, Blank Project: I created a completely new, blank FlutterFlow project. I added only the google_mlkit_face_detection package and no other custom code or widgets. This blank project also failed to build with the exact same "minimum deployment target" error. This confirms the issue is not related to other packages or project configurations.

  • Test with Local Code Export: I exported the project code and attempted to build it locally on a Mac with Xcode. The build failed. I manually edited the Podfile in the ios directory to change platform :ios, '13.0' to platform :ios, '15.5'. After this manual change, the pod install command succeeded, and the project could be built and run in Xcode.

4. Conclusion & Feature Request:

The evidence strongly suggests that the inability to use the google_ml_kit suite of packages is due to a limitation within the FlutterFlow platform: the lack of an interface to set the minimum iOS Deployment Target for a project.

While I understand the need to support older iOS versions for broader compatibility, many modern and powerful packages like Google's ML Kit now require newer iOS versions. This limitation effectively blocks developers from using a significant and official Google-supported package.

Could you please:

  1. Confirm if there is any existing workaround to change the iOS deployment target within the FlutterFlow UI that I may have missed?

  2. If not, can you please consider this a formal feature request to add a setting under "App Settings" > "Platforms" or a similar section to allow developers to specify the minimum iOS Deployment Target?

This feature would unlock the potential of many advanced packages and would be an invaluable addition for the developer community.

Thank you for your time and for creating such a powerful platform. I look forward to your response.

Best regards,

Did you check FlutterFlow's Documentation for this topic?
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