Bouncing Lists in Flutterflow (Scroll Physics)

Scrolling is a fundamental interaction in mobile apps, and the user experience can significantly benefit from smooth and engaging scroll behaviors. While iOS natively provides a delightful bouncing scroll effect when users reach the top or bottom of a list, Android does not. This can lead to a less satisfying user experience on Android devices. However, with Flutter and Flutterflow, we can implement this feature to ensure consistency across platforms.

In this article, I’ll show you how to create a custom widget in Flutterflow that enables bouncing scroll physics on Android mobile devices.

The Problem

Android’s native scroll behavior lacks the playful bounce effect that iOS users are accustomed to. When you scroll to the edge of a list on an Android device, the content simply stops, which can feel abrupt and less responsive. Implementing a bouncing scroll effect can enhance the user experience, making your app feel more polished and enjoyable to use.

The Solution

We will create a custom widget in Flutter that uses BouncingScrollPhysics to simulate the bouncing effect. Flutterflow doesn't natively support passing custom widgets with dynamic children, so we will work around this limitation by defining the children within the widget itself.

Here’s how you can implement this solution.

Step 1: Create the Custom Widget

Let’s create a custom widget in Flutterflow that applies bouncing scroll physics to a ListView.

class BouncePhysicsWidget extends StatefulWidget {
  const BouncePhysicsWidget({
    super.key,
    this.width,
    this.height,
  });  final double? width;
  final double? height;  @override
  State<BouncePhysicsWidget> createState() => _BouncePhysicsWidgetState();
}class _BouncePhysicsWidgetState extends State<BouncePhysicsWidget> {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return SizedBox(
      width: widget.width,
      height: widget.height,
      child: ScrollConfiguration(
        behavior: const BounceScrollBehavior(),
        child: ListView.builder(
          physics: const BouncingScrollPhysics(),
          itemCount: 30,
          itemBuilder: (context, index) {
            return ListTile(
              title: Text('Item $index'),
            );
          },
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}class BounceScrollBehavior extends ScrollBehavior {
  const BounceScrollBehavior();  @override
  ScrollPhysics getScrollPhysics(BuildContext context) {
    return const BouncingScrollPhysics();
  }  @override
  Widget buildOverscrollIndicator(BuildContext context, Widget child, AxisDirection axisDirection) {
    return GlowingOverscrollIndicator(
      axisDirection: axisDirection,
      color: Theme.of(context).colorScheme.secondary,
      child: child,
    );
  }
}

Step 2: Add the Widget to Your Flutterflow Project

To use the BouncePhysicsWidget in your Flutterflow project, you need to add it to your custom widget section. Unfortunately, Flutterflow doesn't support passing widgets dynamically, so you'll need to hard-code the ListView items within the custom widget.

Step 3: Customize the Widget

If you need to customize the items in the ListView, you can modify the itemBuilder method within the _BouncePhysicsWidgetState class. For example, you can change the content of the ListTile to display different types of data.

Step 4: Using the Widget in Your Project

Now you can use the BouncePhysicsWidget in your Flutterflow project by specifying its width, height, and other properties.

This will render a scrollable list with 30 items, and when you scroll to the top or bottom, the list will bounce back, providing a smooth and engaging scroll experience.

Final Thoughts

Implementing a bouncing scroll effect on Android can significantly enhance the user experience of your Flutter app. With Flutterflow’s custom widgets, you can create this effect even though it’s not natively supported on Android. By following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be able to provide a consistent, enjoyable scrolling experience across both iOS and Android platforms.

Footnote

This solution is designed to work on Android mobile devices and will not exhibit the same behavior in web browsers. Testing on actual Android devices is recommended to ensure the desired effect.

Happy coding!

Original Article published here: Bouncing Scroll Physics in Flutterflow | by Rocco Labellarte | May, 2024 | Medium