Microsoft Clarity for Flutter Developers: Watch User Behavior in Real Time

As mobile apps grow in size, what we see is that just tracking crashes and numbers with tools like Firebase Analytics or Crashlytics is not enough. You need to see how users interact with your app.

That is what inspired Microsoft Clarity for Flutter SDK, which in turn helps you to add session replay and user behavior tracking to your Flutter app.

Microsoft Clarity is a free of charge behavioral analytics tool that records user sessions, tracks taps, and reports on frustration signals like rage clicks and dead taps. 

We are happy to announce the release of their Flutter SDK. You can now add Clarity to your cross-platform apps and get in-depth yet privacy-secure insights into user behavior without having to write complex tracking code.

Here, we will take you step by step through what is on offer for Flutter developers with Clarity, how you can go about implementing it in your work, and how this tool may be just what you need for improved UX performance.

What is Microsoft Clarity?

Microsoft Clarity is a web and mobile analytics platform that looks at user action. We have a free tool that reports how users interact with your app, which includes taps, navigation, signs of frustration, and session playbacks. While it started out for web-based applications, now it also supports Flutter mobile apps, which have their own SDK. Originally built for web apps, Clarity now supports mobile through its dedicated Flutter package, making it easy to add to cross-platform apps.

Why Behavior Analytics Matter in Mobile Apps?

Behavior analysis is a key element in mobile apps which reports how users interact with the app. This info in turn helps developers and product teams to improve user experience, increase engagement, and reduce attrition.

For example, you may see that users leave out of the onboarding process or abandon a form. What traditional analytics report is which but not why. Behavior analytics however reports in detail where users get stuck, confused or frustrated.

This is true in the case of mobile apps, where:

• In screen space which is at a premium layout and content placement matter more.
• Touch input is sometimes imprecise and also may be misinterpreted by the app.
• Users are looking for seamless navigation.

With the help of behavior insights we are able to identify UX issues at a faster rate, to fix them at an early stage and in turn build an app that your users will enjoy.

Key Features of Clarity SDK for Flutter

Here are the most useful features for Flutter developers:

1. Session Replay

Record entire sessions (without private data) to see how users navigate through your app, what screens they visit, and where they get stuck.

2. Heatmaps

Understand which UI elements are used the most or ignored completely.

3. Dead Taps

Identify taps on elements that don't respond often due to missing callbacks or hidden widgets.

4. Rage Taps

Detect frustration when users tap repeatedly on a non-working element.

5. Back-and-Forth Navigation

Find patterns where users are looping between screens, suggesting confusion.

6. Event Logging

Custom events like "Cart Opened", "Order Submitted", or "Login Failed" can be manually logged for deeper insights.

7. Privacy Protection

Automatically masks sensitive input fields (like passwords or names), ensuring compliance with GDPR/CCPA.

These Microsoft clarity for Flutter features support debugging UX issues, analyzing onboarding flows, and optimizing checkout journeys, with plans to add more capabilities in the future.

How to Integrate Microsoft Clarity in a Flutter App

Here’s a step-by-step guide to installing and integrating the Clarity SDK into your Flutter app:

*Please note: Install the Clarity SDK in order to track how users interact with your app. The Clarity Flutter SDK is available as a package (clarity_flutter) on pub.dev.

Step 1: Add Dependency

First, you need to add the Clarity SDK to your pubspec.yaml file.

Add the Clarity SDK dependency under the dependencies section: 

clarity_flutter: ^1.0.2  # use latest version

Step 2: Initialize SDK in main.dart

You’ll need to initialize Clarity in your app's entry point (typically main.dart).

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

void main() {
  final config = ClarityConfig(
    projectId: "YOUR_PROJECT_ID",
    logLevel: LogLevel.Verbose, // Use LogLevel.None in production
  );
  runApp(ClarityWidget(app: MyApp(), clarityConfig: config));
}

NOTE: Get your Project ID from https://clarity.microsoft.com under Setup > Tracking Code

Step 3: Mask Sensitive Information

Clarity provides widgets to mask sensitive data, like passwords or credit card information, so that these aren’t sent to the Clarity servers.

Masking Widgets:

Wrap sensitive widgets with ClarityMask to ensure that Clarity doesn’t track them.

Example for a masked TextField (password input):

ClarityMask(
  child: TextField(
    obscureText: true,
    decoration: InputDecoration(
      labelText: "Password",
      border: OutlineInputBorder(),
      prefixIcon: Icon(Icons.lock),
    ),
  ),
)

This ensures that any sensitive data typed into the TextField will be masked and not sent to Clarity.

Unmasking Widgets:

To track non-sensitive information, use ClarityUnmask to indicate that this data can be recorded.

Example of an unmasked widget:

class UnmaskedWidget extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return ClarityUnmask(
      child: Text('Non-sensitive Information'),
    );
  }
}

You can wrap any widget that you want to be visible to Clarity with ClarityUnmask.

Step 4: Test and Validate Integration

Once you’ve set up Microsoft Clarity for Flutter, you should test to ensure everything is working properly.

Enable Verbose Logs in Development Mode

Make sure to use LogLevel.Verbose during development to get detailed logs that can help you debug any issues.

logLevel: LogLevel.Verbose

Test on Emulator/Device

• Run your app on an emulator or physical device.
• Perform basic user interactions like tapping, navigation, typing, etc.

Check the Clarity Dashboard

After 5-10 minutes, visit the Clarity dashboard to check if user interactions are being tracked.

Look for recordings, heatmaps, and events that show up.

If you see the error “Failed to fetch Project configs, Clarity cannot start”, verify the following:

• Your Project ID is correct.
• Your internet connection is stable and Clarity’s servers aren’t being blocked by a VPN.

Clarity Log Levels Explained

When initializing Clarity, you can choose different log levels to control how much information gets printed on the console.

LogLevel Types:

• LogLevel.None: No logs are shown (recommended for production).
• LogLevel.Error: Only errors are logged.
• LogLevel.Warning: Logs warnings and errors.
• LogLevel.Info: Logs informational messages, warnings, and errors.
• LogLevel.Verbose: Logs detailed debugging information (useful for development).

Make sure to use LogLevel.Verbose while testing to ensure Clarity is working as expected.

Use Cases for Clarity in Flutter Development

Here are some practical ways Microsoft Clarity can help you with your Flutter app:.

• Make Onboarding Easier

See what points new users drop off at during onboarding so you can address those.

• Find Navigation Problems

If users are leaving unsatisfied, Clarity identifies the issue.

• Catch Broken or Unresponsive UI

Clarity allows you to see which elements users are tapping on that aren’t working, thus what to fix.

• Test New Features

See which features are adopted by users and which are not.

• Help Support and QA

When a user reports a bug we can watch their session to see what went wrong.

• Improve Design with Real Feedback

Clarity reports out which features of your app are used by people which in turn helps you improve the design based on real action.

Privacy and Performance Considerations

Clarity focused on privacy and performance:

• GDPR & CCPA Compliant: No personal info is collected by default.
• Anonymized Data: Sensitive data may be masked easily with Clarity’s built in widgets.
• Minimal Overhead: The SDK is lean and won’t slow your app.

It is a trusted, respectful approach to learn from user behavior. That’s one reason to choose Flutter; its UI flexibility allows for quick responses to insights from tools like Clarity.

Key Takeaway

Microsoft Clarity for Flutter which we have put out there in early access version already has a very strong and private solution for you to better understand what your users do in your app. 

Since we released it we have seen Flutter developers, product managers, UX designers and app owners use this to identify silent bugs, fix UX issues and improve app flows which in turn increases user engagement.

Best also it is free of charge, we do not have free premium plans or feature restrictions. If you are into improving UX and retaining users, adding Clarity to your Flutter app is a great choice.