Production Release Checklist

Before releasing your app to production, ensure the following:

1. ProGuard/R8 Rules Configured (Android)

Critical for Android: The plugin automatically includes ProGuard rules via consumer-rules.pro, but verify:

• Your app’s build.gradle includes ProGuard rules:

  buildTypes {
      release {
          minifyEnabled true
          proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 
                       'proguard-rules.pro'
      }
  }

• The plugin’s consumer rules are automatically merged (no action needed)

• Test location functionality in a release build before publishing

Why this matters: Without proper ProGuard rules, location updates may fail silently in production. See the GPS Prewarming guide for details.

2. Permissions Properly Configured

Verify all required permissions are declared:

Android (AndroidManifest.xml):

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

iOS (Info.plist):

<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>We need your location to provide navigation assistance</string>
<key>NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>We need your location to provide navigation assistance</string>

3. Test Release Builds

Always test release builds, not just debug builds:

# Android
flutter build apk --release
flutter build appbundle --release
 
# iOS
flutter build ios --release

Test these scenarios in release builds:

• Location updates work correctly
• Maps load and display properly
• Routes are calculated and displayed
• Markers appear correctly
• No crashes or silent failures

4. Error Handling

Implement proper error handling for production:

try {
  await lazarilloMaps.initialize();
} catch (e) {
  // Log to crash reporting service (not console)
  crashReportingService.recordError(e, stackTrace);
  
  // Show user-friendly error message
  showErrorDialog('Unable to initialize maps. Please try again.');
}

5. Battery Optimization Considerations

Location tracking consumes battery. Consider:

• GPS Prewarming: Only prewarm GPS when user is likely to need it (see GPS Prewarming Guide)
• Background Location: Request background location only when necessary
• Stop Updates: Stop location updates when not needed:

  // Stop location updates when user leaves map screen
  @override
  void dispose() {
    lazarilloMaps.stopUpdatingLocation();
    super.dispose();
  }

6. Privacy and Data Handling

• Don’t log location data in production
• Don’t store sensitive data in logs
• Respect user privacy - only request permissions when needed
• Handle location data securely - encrypt if storing locally

7. Performance Optimization

• Lazy initialization: Initialize SDK only when needed
• Resource cleanup: Dispose resources properly
• Memory management: Remove markers and routes when not needed
• Network optimization: Cache map tiles and data when possible

8. Check Common Issues

1. Location not updating?

   • Verify ProGuard rules are applied
   • Check permissions are granted
   • Verify GPS is enabled on device

2. Maps not loading?

   • Check network connectivity
   • Verify API key is valid
   • Check for API rate limits

3. Routes not calculating?

   • Verify origin and destination are valid
   • Check network connectivity
   • Verify API key permissions

Best Practices Summary

✅ DO

• Disable logging in production by default
• Enable logging only when debugging specific issues
• Test release builds before publishing
• Verify ProGuard rules are applied (Android)
• Handle errors gracefully
• Clean up resources properly
• Respect user privacy

❌ DON’T

• Leave logging enabled in production
• Log sensitive data (locations, API keys, user data)
• Assume debug builds work the same as release builds
• Ignore ProGuard/R8 configuration (Android)
• Store location data unnecessarily
• Request permissions unnecessarily

Related Documentation

• GPS Prewarming - Detailed guide on location performance and ProGuard configuration
• GPS Prewarming Guide - Improve location performance
• Installation Guide - Setup instructions
• Permissions Setup - Required permissions

Support

If you encounter production issues:

1. Check this guide for common issues
2. Review the GPS Prewarming guide
3. Enable logging temporarily to collect diagnostic information
4. Contact support at lazarillo.app