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Flutter - WebSockets

Last Updated : 14 Apr, 2025
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WebSockets are used to connect with the server just like the http package. It supports two-way communication with a server without polling.

In this article, we will explore the below-listed topics related to WebSockets in Flutter:

  • Connecting to a WebSocket server
  • Listen to messages from the server.
  • Send data to the server.
  • Close the WebSocket connection.

In this article, as an example, we will connect to the test server provided by websocket.org.

1. Connect to a WebSocket Server

The web_socket_channel package has tools that are needed to connect to a WebSocket server. The package provides a WebSocketChannel that allows users to both listen to messages from the server and push messages to the server.

In Flutter, use the following line to create a WebSocketChannel that connects to a server:

final channel = IOWebSocketChannel.connect('ws://echo.websocket.org');

2. Listen to Messages from the Server

Now that we have established the connection to the server, we will send a message to it and get the same message as a response:

Dart
StreamBuilder(
  stream: widget.channel.stream,
  builder: (context, snapshot) {
    return Text(snapshot.hasData ? '${snapshot.data}' : '');
  },
);

3. Send Data to the Server

To send data to the server, add() messages to the sink provided by the WebSocketChannel, as shown below:

channel.sink.add('Hello Geeks!');

4. Close the Connection

To close the connection to the WebSocket, use the below:

channel.sink.close();

Complete Source Code (main.dart)

Dart
import 'dart:async';
import 'dart:convert';

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:http/http.dart' as http;

Future<Album> fetchAlbum() async {
  final response = await http
      .get(Uri.parse('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/albums/1'));

  if (response.statusCode == 200) {
    return Album.fromJson(json.decode(response.body));
  } else {
    throw Exception('Loading album failed!');
  }
}

Future<Album> updateAlbum(String title) async {
  final http.Response response = await http.put(
    Uri.parse('https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/albums/1'),
    headers: <String, String>{
      'Content-Type': 'application/json; charset=UTF-8',
    },
    body: jsonEncode(<String, String>{
      'title': title,
    }),
  );

  if (response.statusCode == 200) {
    return Album.fromJson(json.decode(response.body));
  } else {
    throw Exception('Failed to update the album!');
  }
}

// the album class
class Album {
  final int id;
  final String title;

  Album({required this.id, required this.title});

  factory Album.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) {
    return Album(
      id: json['id'],
      title: json['title'],
    );
  }
}

void main() {
  runApp(MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatefulWidget {
  MyApp({super.key});

  @override
  _MyAppState createState() {
    return _MyAppState();
  }
}

class _MyAppState extends State<MyApp> {
  final TextEditingController _controller = TextEditingController();
  late Future<Album> _futureAlbum;

  @override
  void initState() {
    super.initState();
    _futureAlbum = fetchAlbum();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      title: 'Update Data',
      theme: ThemeData(
        primarySwatch: Colors.blue,
      ),
      debugShowCheckedModeBanner: false,
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(
          title: Text('GeeksForGeeks'),
          backgroundColor: Colors.green,
          foregroundColor: Colors.white,
        ),
        body: Container(
          alignment: Alignment.center,
          padding: const EdgeInsets.all(8.0),
          child: FutureBuilder<Album>(
            future: _futureAlbum,
            builder: (context, snapshot) {
              if (snapshot.connectionState == ConnectionState.done) {
                if (snapshot.hasData) {
                  return Column(
                    mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
                    children: <Widget>[
                      Text(snapshot.data!.title),
                      TextField(
                        controller: _controller,
                        decoration: InputDecoration(hintText: 'Enter Title'),
                      ),
                      TextButton(
                        child: Text('Update Data'),
                        onPressed: () {
                          setState(() {
                            _futureAlbum = updateAlbum(_controller.text);
                          });
                        },
                      ),
                    ],
                  );
                } else if (snapshot.hasError) {
                  return Text("${snapshot.error}");
                }
              }
              return CircularProgressIndicator();
            },
          ),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

To know more about HTTP pacage, TextButton, FutureBuilder in flutter refer this article: Implementing Rest API in Flutter, Flutter – TextButton Widget, Flutter – FutureBuilder Widget.

Output:



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