Flutter Driver Automation Fails After Flutter Version Upgrade - Element Taps Not Working

[muhammad-anas-sqa]

elementClick no-ops on Flutter 3.32.4 for autocomplete list item (autocomplete_option_0) — returns {} but UI doesn’t change

Environment

• Flutter: 3.32.4 (stable)
  Framework: 6fba2447e9 (2025-06-12 19:03:56 -0700)
  Engine: 8cd19e509d (2025-06-12 16:30:12 -0700)
  Dart: 3.8.1 • DevTools: 2.45.1
• Appium: 2.x (started via @wdio/appium-service)
• Drivers (from Appium logs):
  • flutter@2.18.1
  • uiautomator2@4.2.6
• Platform/Device: Android emulator (udid: emulator-5554)
• Build: Debug APK (app-stage-debug-latest.apk)
• Runner: WebdriverIO + Cucumber (WDIO 8.x; can share exact versions if needed)

Note: Before upgrading Flutter version, the same tests passed without code changes. After upgrading to 3.32.4, taps via W3C elementClick on certain Flutter widgets stop having any effect. (Working fine in this version Flutter: 3.29.4)

---

Problem summary

After entering text into the origin field (e.g., “Karachi”), tapping the first autocomplete option (autocomplete_option_0) with driver.elementClick(...) returns {} (success) but the UI does not change. The step then times out.
Other steps (e.g., opening traveler selector, incrementing counts) pass; the failures begin when tapping list items/buttons that appear after typing (notably the autocomplete option).

Downgrading Flutter (pre-3.32.x) makes the suite pass again.

---

Minimal repro code (actual page object we use)

> **File:** `test/specs/pageobjects/1-searchResults.page.js`

```js
const find = require('appium-flutter-finder');

class SearchResultsPage {
    get originSelector() {
        return find.byValueKey('airport_selector_origin');
    }

    get originField() {
        return find.byValueKey('airport_field_origin');
    }

    get destinationField() {
        return find.byValueKey('airport_field_destination');
    }

    get departureDateField() {
        return find.byValueKey('flight_search_form_departure_date');
    }
    get dateButton() {
        return find.byValueKey('calendar_day_20_9_2025');
    }
    async selectDepartureDate() {
        await driver.elementClick(this.departureDateField);
        await driver.elementClick(this.dateButton);
        await driver.pause(3000);
    }

    get autoCompleteOption() {
        return find.byValueKey('autocomplete_option_0');                       // This is the problem
    }

    get searchButton() {
        return find.byValueKey('flight_search_button');
    }

    get firstFlightCard() {
        return find.byValueKey('search_flight_card_0');
    }

    get firstFareOption() {
        return find.byValueKey('fare_options_0');
    }

    async selectOrigin(city) {
        await driver.elementClick(this.originSelector);
        await browser.pause(3000);

        await driver.elementClick(this.originField);
        await browser.pause(2000);

        await driver.execute('flutter:enterText', city);
        await driver.execute('flutter:waitFor', this.originField);
        await browser.pause(5000);

                                                                                                       
        await driver.elementClick(this.autoCompleteOption);         // PROBLEM: this click returns {} but UI doesn't change; step times out
        await browser.pause(2000);
    }

    async selectDestination(city) {
        await driver.elementClick(this.destinationField);
        await browser.pause(3000);

        await driver.execute('flutter:enterText', city);
        await driver.execute('flutter:waitFor', this.destinationField);
        await browser.pause(5000);

        await driver.elementClick(this.autoCompleteOption);
        await browser.pause(3000);
    }

    async clickSearchButton() {
        await driver.elementClick(this.searchButton);
        await browser.pause(5000);
    }
}

module.exports = new SearchResultsPage();

[mhmzdev]

Adding to this, it might be because of new OverlayPortal added by Flutter team in RawAutoComplete widget in issue: https://github.com/flutter/flutter/pull/165249/files

[mhmzdev]

If we can have any idea about it? @KazuCocoa as our integration test are breaking and we cannot upgrade to latest SDK. Would really appreciate it. 🙌🏼

[KazuCocoa]

The command depends on how https://api.flutter.dev/flutter/flutter_driver/FlutterDriver/enterText.html works, so it looks like the command by flutter_driver itself didn't work.

appium-flutter-driver/driver/lib/commands/element.ts

Lines 8 to 20 in 3237f04

	export const setValue = async function(this: FlutterDriver, textInput: string | [string], el: string) {
	const clickPromise = this.click(el); // acquire focus
	let text = ``;
	if (textInput instanceof Array) {
	text = textInput.reduce((previousValue, currentValue) => `${previousValue}${currentValue}`);
	} else if (typeof textInput === `string`) {
	text = textInput;
	} else {
	throw new Error(`Invalid textInput: ${textInput}`);
	}
	await clickPromise;
	await this.execute(`flutter:enterText`, [text]);
	};

One possible workaround is interacting with elements in NATIVE_APP context (not via FLUTTER) whcih works via OS's accessibility feature instead of flutter's internal behavior

[mhmzdev]

@KazuCocoa Let me add one point for a little bit clarification, we're not facing issue for entering any text. That is working fine, we are assuming after merge of Issue 1652149 we are unable to tap the overlay. If I revert back the issue locally in my flutter SDK the test starts working.

So, we are unsure whether Appium needs a change or whether Flutter SDK needs to add something.

[KazuCocoa]

Oh, sorry, I attached wrong one. https://api.flutter.dev/flutter/flutter_driver/FlutterDriver/tap.html is underlying method behind elementClick.

The workaround is the same. Interacting with the element in NATIVE_APP context is generally this driver can offer when an issue occurs in the Flutter (flutter_driver) side

[mhmzdev]

Sure thanks, follow up question tough. How would we know which one's the native widget in android or ios? If you have any sample/example that we can look into? e.g. In Flutter we have it as ListTile

As of now this is what we have in our testing script:

/**
 * Handle autocomplete selection with multiple fallback strategies
 * @param {WebdriverIO.Browser} driver - WebDriver instance
 * @param {string} fieldName - Name of the field for logging
 * @param {Object} textField - Text field element
 */
async function handleAutocomplete(driver, fieldName, textField = null) {
  console.log(`🎯 Handling autocomplete for ${fieldName}...`);

  try {
    // Primary approach: Wait and click first option
    await driver.pause(3000);
    console.log(`⏰ Waited 3 seconds for ${fieldName} autocomplete`);

    const autocompleteOption = find.byValueKey('autocomplete_option_0'); // 0 is index here
    await driver.elementClick(autocompleteOption); // < -- trying to tap here.
    console.log(`✅ Successfully clicked ${fieldName} autocomplete_option_0`);
    return true;

  } catch (error) {
  console.log(`⚠️ All autocomplete approaches failed for ${fieldName}, continuing...`);
  return false;
}

[Alpaca00]

The expected result in integration tests can be achieved using long tap with 1500ms duration

https://github.com/appium/appium-flutter-driver/blob/main/driver/lib/commands/execute.ts#L135

This workaround worked for me. However, it was decided to postpone upgrading Flutter until this issue is resolved
flutter/flutter#167904

In the meantime, I reverted back to the CompositedTransformFollower implementation.

[mo-karbalaee]

I have the same issue.

[mo-karbalaee]

Do you know which Flutter version works? I want to revert back to it.

[mhmzdev]

Do you know which Flutter version works? I want to revert back to it.

Working fine at 3.29.x SDK for us.