Upgrading Flutter app dependencies and app publishing in 2025

A step by step reference of the dependency upgrading process in flutter mobile applications, which seemingly changes about every time I blink my eyes:

Upgrade Flutter and Android SDK versions

• First flutter upgrade
• Then upgrade dependencies
  • flutter pub outdated
  • flutter pub upgrade
  • flutter pub upgrade --major-versions (only if needed)
• compileSdkVersion and targetSDKVersion should be upgraded automatically since flutter 3.5

Test the release

• connect android device with usb-c cable
• flutter run

building release

• Adjust flutter.versionCode in local.properties file
• Bump the version in pubspec.yaml (at least increase the value behind the plus sign)
• Ensure keystore is present (in my case, container with keystore is mounted)
• Run flutter build appbundle

uploading release

• Upload the resulting app bundle to app bundle selector via developer console
• Go to release/production developer console page
• Press create release button top right, follow wizard
• Go to publishing overview, send new release "send for review"