Urgent Migration: CocoaPods Deprecated in Favor of Swift Package Manager
Starting with Flutter 3.44, the framework will no longer use CocoaPods as the default dependency manager for iOS and macOS apps. Instead, it will rely entirely on Apple’s Swift Package Manager (SwiftPM). This shift, announced in an official update, affects both app developers and plugin authors.
"We are making this change because CocoaPods is officially in maintenance mode," said a Flutter team spokesperson. "Its trunk registry will become permanently read-only on December 2, 2026. To ensure continued access to updates and the Swift ecosystem, we are moving to Apple’s supported solution."
What This Means
For app developers, the transition is largely automatic: the Flutter CLI will update your Xcode project to use SwiftPM when you build or run your iOS/macOS app. However, if your project relies on plugins that haven’t adopted SwiftPM, Flutter will issue a warning listing those unsupported dependencies.
"Flutter will temporarily fall back to CocoaPods for plugins that haven’t migrated," the spokesperson added. "But that fallback will eventually be removed. If a plugin breaks your build, file an issue with its maintainer or find an alternative."
Background: CocoaPods in Maintenance Mode
CocoaPods, a long-standing dependency manager for iOS, is no longer under active development. Its registry will stop accepting new versions or pods after December 2, 2026. Existing builds will still work, but no updates will be published. Flutter’s transition to SwiftPM ensures apps continue to receive dependency updates and can tap into the broader Swift package ecosystem.
Steps for App Developers
If you encounter a breaking issue with SwiftPM, 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 our GitHub template," the team urged. "Include error details, a list of plugins, and your Xcode project files so we can resolve issues before CocoaPods is fully removed." Check the Flutter migration docs for app developers for more details.
Steps for Plugin Developers
Plugin authors must add SwiftPM support if they haven’t already. Currently, only 61% of the top 100 iOS plugins have migrated. Packages without SwiftPM support will 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 said.
To add support, create a Package.swift file and reorganize your source files to the standard Swift package structure. If you already migrated during the 2025 pilot, one new step is required: add FlutterFramework as a dependency in Package.swift. See the Flutter migration docs for plugin developers.
Looking Ahead
The Flutter team confirmed that CocoaPods support will be entirely removed in a future release. All developers are encouraged to migrate as soon as possible to avoid build failures. "This is a one-way door," the spokesperson emphasized. "Embracing SwiftPM now ensures your Flutter apps remain modern and maintainable."