QuickPatch is an over-the-air (OTA) code-push platform for Flutter apps. It lets you push Dart code changes - bug fixes, UI tweaks, logic updates - directly to users' Android and iOS devices in seconds, without shipping a new build through the App Store or Google Play review process.

How does Flutter code push work with QuickPatch?

You ship your app to the stores once with the QuickPatch engine bundled in. After that, you change your Dart code, run `quickpatch patch`, and upload a small diff targeting that exact release. Apps fetch the patch on launch and apply it on the next launch - no reinstall and no store review.

Does QuickPatch work on both Android and iOS?

Yes. QuickPatch supports both Android and iOS with a single workflow. The same patch command and dashboard manage over-the-air updates for both platforms.

Is pushing code updates over the air allowed by the App Store?

QuickPatch is designed for pushing Dart code fixes and improvements to your existing app's functionality, which is a common and accepted practice for code-push tools. It does not change your app's core purpose. You should always follow Apple and Google's current developer guidelines for over-the-air updates.

How much does QuickPatch cost?

QuickPatch has a free plan with 4,000 patch installs per month. Paid plans start at $19/month (Pro, 60,000 installs) and $200/month (Business, 1,000,000 installs), with usage-based overage and custom Enterprise pricing. Apps, releases, and patches are unlimited on every plan - you're only metered on patch installs.

Is QuickPatch a Shorebird alternative?

Yes. QuickPatch is a fully-managed Flutter code-push service that offers the same core capability - over-the-air Dart updates for Android and iOS - with simpler usage-based pricing, signed patches with key rotation, and instant rollback.

Can I roll back a bad patch?

Yes. Every patch can be paused or instantly rolled back from the dashboard. You can also stage rollouts - release to 10% of users first, watch install metrics, then ramp to 100% or stop.

Are QuickPatch updates safe?

Patches are cryptographically signed and verified against the exact release they target before they are applied, and signing keys can be rotated. A patch that doesn't verify is never applied, and you can pause or roll back at any time.

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Compliance·May 12, 2026·2 min read

OTA Updates and App Store Guidelines: Is Flutter Code Push Allowed?

A practical look at how over-the-air code push for Flutter fits within App Store and Google Play guidelines, and how to keep your OTA updates focused on compliant bug fixes.

The most common question about Flutter code push is whether stores allow it. The short answer: over-the-air updates that fix bugs and improve your existing app are a widely-used, accepted practice. The key is to keep patches focused on code-level fixes, not on changing what your app fundamentally does.

What the guidelines actually care about

Both Apple and Google allow apps to download and run code in limited ways, provided the update does not change the app's core purpose, does not introduce a different app inside the app, and does not bypass the store's safety review for major features. Bug fixes, UI corrections, and logic adjustments fall comfortably inside that line.

Use OTA for fixes, the store for features

Good fit for OTA: crash fixes, incorrect calculations, broken layouts, copy corrections, small logic changes.
Use a store release for: new native capabilities, major new features, or anything that changes your app's stated purpose.

How QuickPatch keeps you on the safe side

QuickPatch patches your Dart code within the app you already shipped. It does not install a second app, and it does not change your declared functionality. That positioning is deliberate: it keeps OTA updates aligned with the spirit of store guidelines for fixing and improving an existing app.

Treat code push as a faster path to bug fixes, not a way to skip review for entirely new functionality.

Practical advice

1.Keep patches scoped to fixes and improvements of existing behavior.
2.Ship genuinely new features and native changes through normal store releases.
3.Always follow the current Apple and Google developer policies, which evolve over time.

For a refresher on the underlying mechanism, see How Flutter OTA Updates Work, and to ship your first compliant fix, read Flutter Code Push Without an App Store Review.

Ship your next Flutter fix over the air

QuickPatch is a fully-managed over-the-air code-push service for Flutter. Push Dart bug fixes to Android and iOS in seconds, with staged rollouts, instant rollback, and signed patches. Start on the free plan, read the documentation, or see the apps already shipping with QuickPatch.

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