Welcome to an exciting journey of building your very own WhatsApp clone! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through each step involved in creating a feature-rich messaging app using Flutter and Firebase. Just like potters shape clay into beautiful vases, we will manipulate code and design patterns to create a functional and appealing messaging platform. So, grab your tools and let’s get started!

Features of Our WhatsApp Clone

• Phone Number Authentication
• 1-1 Chatting with Contacts Only
• Group Chatting
• Text, Image, GIF, Audio (Recording), Video, and Emoji Sharing
• Status visible to Contacts Only (disappears after 24 hours)
• Video Calling
• Online/Offline Status
• Seen Messages
• Replying to Messages
• Auto Scroll on New Messages

Installation Guide

To embark on this coding adventure, follow the steps below after cloning this repository:

1. Navigate to the flutter-whatsapp-clone folder in your terminal.
2. Create a Firebase project.
3. Run the following commands:

npm install -g firebase-tools
dart pub global activate flutterfire_cli
flutterfire configure

4. Enable Authentication in your Firebase console.
5. Add Firestore Storage Rules.
6. Create Android and iOS Apps in Firebase.
7. Then, execute these commands to run your app:

flutter pub get
open -a simulator (to get iOS Simulator)
flutter run

Understanding the Code: An Analogy

Think of the WhatsApp clone as a well-organized restaurant. The Firebase authentication acts as the host welcoming guests, ensuring they have reservations (phone numbers). Each chat is like a dining experience, where you can share dishes (text, images, or videos) with your guests. Group chats are akin to banquet tables where multiple friends can enjoy a meal together. Notifications and seen messages are the servers ensuring that everyone at the table knows when their dishes have arrived or when they’ve finished their meals. By utilizing Flutter for the front-end and Riverpod for state management, we ensure that our restaurant runs smoothly, providing delightful experiences for our diners.

Troubleshooting

While building your app, you might run into some issues. Here are a few common ones and their solutions:

• Firebase Configuration Issues: Double-check your firebase.json file and authentication setup.
• Dependencies not working: Ensure you have run flutter pub get after changing pubspec.yaml.
• iOS Simulator not opening: Make sure Xcode is installed and updated to the latest version.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Wrap Up

That’s it! You are now equipped to build a WhatsApp clone from scratch. With the foundations laid out in this guide, let your creativity flow as you expand upon this foundation and make it truly your own. At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.

Learn More

If you’re eager to follow along with a visual tutorial, check out my YouTube channel: Rivaan Ranawat for a complete walkthrough.