Examples

This section provides three complete example applications demonstrating different use cases for the flutter_app_intents package with Apple App Intents, enabling features like Siri voice commands, Shortcuts, and Spotlight search.

Examples Overview

1. Counter Example

Action-based App Intents - Demonstrates intents that perform operations without navigation.

Features:

• Increment counter (with optional amount parameter)
• Reset counter to zero
• Get current counter value
• Intent donation for Siri learning
• Parameter handling and validation

Best for learning:

• Basic App Intents implementation
• Parameter handling
• Action-based voice commands
• iOS static intent declarations

2. Navigation Example

Navigation-based App Intents - Demonstrates deep linking and app navigation through intents.

Features:

• Open user profile page
• Launch chat with specific contact
• Navigate to search with query
• Open app settings
• Deep linking with route parameters

Best for learning:

• Navigation intents with OpensIntent
• Deep linking with parameters
• Multi-page Flutter navigation
• Route configuration and argument passing

3. Weather Example

Query-based App Intents - Demonstrates background data queries with voice responses.

Features:

• Get current weather information
• Check specific temperature data
• Retrieve multi-day forecasts
• Boolean rain checks
• Background operation without opening app

Best for learning:

• Query intents with ProvidesDialog
• Background data processing
• Voice response formatting
• Multiple parameter types
• Information retrieval patterns

Choosing the Right Example

Use Case	Example	Intent Type	Return Type
Perform app actions	Counter	Action Intent	ReturnsValue<String>
Navigate to app pages	Navigation	Navigation Intent	OpensIntent
Query data with voice	Weather	Query Intent	ProvidesDialog
Background operations	Weather	Query Intent	ProvidesDialog
Deep linking	Navigation	Navigation Intent	OpensIntent

Architecture

All examples demonstrate the hybrid approach required for Flutter App Intents:

1. Static Swift App Intents (ios/Runner/AppDelegate.swift) - Required for iOS discovery
2. Flutter handlers (lib/main.dart) - Your app's business logic
3. Bridge communication - Static intents call Flutter handlers via the plugin

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Flutter environment with iOS development setup
• iOS 16.0 or later device or simulator
• Xcode 14.0 or later

Running the Examples

Counter Example (Action Intents):

cd example/counter
flutter pub get
flutter run

Navigation Example (Deep Linking):

cd example/navigation
flutter pub get
flutter run

Weather Example (Query Intents):

cd example/weather
flutter pub get
flutter run

Testing App Intents

1. Shortcuts App: Check for your app's shortcuts under "App Shortcuts"
2. Enable Siri: ⚠️ IMPORTANT - In Shortcuts app, tap your app's shortcuts and toggle ON the Siri switch (it's OFF by default)
3. Siri Commands: Use voice commands with your app name
4. Settings: Go to Settings > Siri & Search > App Shortcuts
5. Manual Testing: Use in-app buttons to test functionality

Common Troubleshooting

Shortcuts not appearing?

1. Ensure iOS 16.0+ device/simulator
2. Wait for iOS to register static intents
3. Check console logs for registration status
4. Try restarting the Shortcuts app

Siri not recognizing commands?

1. Enable Siri toggle first: In Shortcuts app → [Your App] Shortcuts → Toggle ON the Siri switch
2. Use exact app name in voice commands
3. Try manual shortcuts first to help Siri learn
4. Add custom phrases in Settings > Siri & Search

For detailed troubleshooting, see the Troubleshooting section.

Implementation Patterns

For Action Intents (like Counter):

return AppIntentResult.successful(
  value: 'Action completed successfully',
  needsToContinueInApp: false, // Optional for actions
);

For Navigation Intents (like Navigation):

return AppIntentResult.successful(
  value: 'Opening page...',
  needsToContinueInApp: true, // Required for navigation
);

For Query Intents (like Weather):

return AppIntentResult.successful(
  value: 'Weather data: 72°F and sunny',
  needsToContinueInApp: false, // Background operation
);

App Shortcuts Phrase Best Practices

⚠️ Important Limitation: Static Phrases Only

App Shortcuts phrases CANNOT be defined dynamically. They must be declared statically in your Swift code at compile time.

Key Guidelines

1. Phrase Quantity: Include 3-5 phrase variations per intent

   • Provides users with natural alternatives
   • Helps Siri recognition accuracy
   • Accounts for different speech patterns

2. Natural Language Patterns:

   // Good: Uses natural prepositions and variations
   "Increment counter by \(amount) with \(.applicationName)"
   "Add \(amount) to counter using \(.applicationName)"
   "Increase counter in \(.applicationName)"
   
   // Avoid: Unnatural or overly complex phrasing
   "Execute increment functionality with parameter \(amount)"

3. Application Name Integration: Always include \(.applicationName) to:

   • Distinguish from other apps with similar intents
   • Improve Siri recognition accuracy
   • Follow iOS App Shortcuts conventions

4. Parameter Placement: Place parameters naturally within phrases:

   // Good: Natural parameter placement
   "Check weather in \(location) using \(.applicationName)"
   
   // Less ideal: Parameters at the end
   "Check weather using \(.applicationName) for \(location)"

Testing Phrases

• Test each phrase variation with Siri
• Verify phrases work across different accents
• Check that parameters are correctly captured
• Use Settings > Siri & Search > App Shortcuts for manual testing

Next Steps

1. Start with Counter - Learn basic App Intents concepts
2. Try Navigation - Understand deep linking and navigation patterns
3. Explore Weather - Master query intents and background operations
4. Combine Patterns - Create apps with mixed intent types
5. Customize - Add your own intents and parameters

All examples include comprehensive documentation and are production-ready starting points for your own App Intents implementation.