Flutter 3.32, published in May 2025, brings a package of changes to make developers more productive, enhance UI fidelity, and cross-platform performance. The update introduces experimental web hot reload, improved Cupertino widgets, and new Material elements and substantial performance improvements on all platforms. What is new? Let's see.

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Hot reload on the web (Experimental):

We can enable hot reload on the web by enabling a simple command line flag --web-experimental-hot-reload while invoking flutter run.

flutter run -d chrome --web-experimental-hot-reload

Framework Updates

New Widget Expansible:

ExpansionTile now uses Expansible widget that makes it easier to create widgets that expand and collapse with different visual themes.

animateToIndex in CarouselController:

carouselController.animateToItem(
  currentIndex + 1,
  duration: const Duration(milliseconds: 300),
  curve: Curves.easeIn,
);

Cupertino Squircles Shape:

Commonly called the Apple squircle, the shape is a key aspect of the iOS design language, which is more smooth and continuous in its curves than the traditional rounded rectangle.

This update provides us using these new APIs to adapt this design language:

1. RoundedSuperellipseBorder for painting or as a widget shape

2. ClipRSuperellipse for clipping.

3. Canvas.drawRSuperellipse, Canvas.clipRSuperellipse, and Path.addRSuperellipse for lower-level APIs that offer more direct control.

enableDrag argument on CupertinoSheetRoute:

We can also now use the new enableDrag argument on CupertinoSheetRoute and showCupertinoSheet to disable the Cupertino bottom sheet’s drag-down-to-dismiss behavior.

showCupertinoSheet(
   context: context,
   pageBuilder: (context) => CustomSheet(),
   enableDrag: false,
);

onHover callback on TabBar:

The TabBar has got onHover and onFocusChange callbacks now; you can have more control over the appearance of the widget in the various states.

animationStyle on showDialog:

When opening and closing the dialog we can customize the animation.

borderRadius on Divider:

Divider(
      radius: BorderRadius.circular(12),
      thickness: 12,
      indent: 20,
      endIndent: 20,
)

Custom error widget builder for FormField widgets:

TextFormField(
     Validator: 
     autovalidateMode:
     errorBuilder: (context, error){
        return Row(
          children: [
            Icon(Icons.error, color:Colors.red),
            Text(error),
          ],
        );
     },
)

Developer Tooling Improvements

Improvements to developer tools are intended to simplify the task of development:

Flutter Property Editor: A new addition to DevTools that enables editing of widget properties visually directly in the IDE, thus being more productive.

Deep Link Validator: Helps to detect and resolve Android deep link setup problems to provide an easier navigational experience.

DevTools Improvements: Better offline debugging, CPU profiling, network debugging, and bug fixes in different panels make the debugging experience better.

Conclusion

Flutter 3.32 is a new milestone in cross-platform development, as it provides tools and improvements that will be helpful to both programmers and users. It is a perfect moment to adopt the new version of Flutter because of its improved performance, richer UI components, and better tooling.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is new in Flutter 3.32?

A. Flutter 3.32 introduces experimental web hot reload, enhanced Cupertino widgets like Squircles, new Material elements, and developer tools like the Flutter Property Editor and Deep Link Validator for improved productivity.

2. How do I enable hot reload on the web in Flutter 3.32?

A. To enable experimental hot reload for Flutter web, run your app using the --web-experimental-hot-reload flag with the flutter run command.

3. What are Cupertino Squircles in Flutter 3.32?

A. Cupertino Squircles are iOS-style smooth-cornered shapes now supported in Flutter 3.32 via new APIs like RoundedSuperellipseBorder, ClipRSuperellipse, and canvas drawing tools for native iOS UI fidelity.