How to Use url_launcher in Flutter to Open URLs

To use url_launcher in Flutter, add it to your pubspec.yaml, import it, and call launchUrl() with a Uri. This lets your app open web pages, phone dialers, or email apps easily.

Syntax

The main function to open URLs is launchUrl(). You pass a Uri object representing the link you want to open. Optionally, you can specify launch options like opening in an external browser.

• Uri: The link to open, e.g., Uri.parse('https://flutter.dev').
• launchUrl(uri): Opens the given URI.

dart

import 'package:url_launcher/url_launcher.dart';

Future<void> openLink() async {
  final Uri url = Uri.parse('https://flutter.dev');
  if (!await launchUrl(url)) {
    throw 'Could not launch $url';
  }
}

Example

This example shows a simple Flutter app with a button that opens the Flutter website when tapped.

dart

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:url_launcher/url_launcher.dart';

void main() => runApp(MyApp());

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  final Uri _url = Uri.parse('https://flutter.dev');

  Future<void> _launchUrl() async {
    if (!await launchUrl(_url)) {
      throw 'Could not launch $_url';
    }
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(title: const Text('url_launcher Example')),
        body: Center(
          child: ElevatedButton(
            onPressed: _launchUrl,
            child: const Text('Open Flutter Website'),
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Output

A screen with an app bar titled 'url_launcher Example' and a centered button labeled 'Open Flutter Website'. Tapping the button opens the Flutter homepage in the device's default browser.

Common Pitfalls

• Not adding url_launcher to pubspec.yaml dependencies.
• Forgetting to import package:url_launcher/url_launcher.dart.
• Using launch() which is deprecated; use launchUrl() instead.
• Not checking if the URL can be launched before launching.
• Passing a string instead of a Uri object.

dart

import 'package:url_launcher/url_launcher.dart';

// Wrong: passing string directly
// await launch('https://flutter.dev');

// Right: use Uri and launchUrl
final Uri url = Uri.parse('https://flutter.dev');
await launchUrl(url);

Quick Reference

Here is a quick summary of key points when using url_launcher:

Action	Code Example
Add dependency	url_launcher: ^6.1.7
Import package	import 'package:url_launcher/url_launcher.dart';
Create Uri	final Uri url = Uri.parse('https://example.com');
Launch URL	await launchUrl(url);
Check launch success	if (!await launchUrl(url)) { throw 'Could not launch'; }

Key Takeaways

Add url_launcher to pubspec.yaml and import it before use.

Use launchUrl() with a Uri object to open links safely.

Always check if the URL can be launched to avoid errors.

Avoid deprecated launch() method; prefer launchUrl().

You can open websites, phone calls, emails, and more with url_launcher.