Getting started: Flutter (Validations plugin)

Introduction

The Truora Flutter plugin allows you to integrate identity verification features directly into your Flutter mobile applications. The plugin bridges to native implementations on both Android and iOS platforms, handling the complexity of capturing the user’s identity documents, facial recognition, and liveness detection to verify their identity against backend records.

Requirements

Platform Requirements

  • Dart: From 3.1.0 to 4.0.0
  • Flutter: 3.0.0 or higher
  • Android: 5.1 (API Level 21) or higher
  • iOS: 13.0 or higher

Permissions Required

  • Camera access (for document and face capture)
  • Internet access (for API communication)

Prerequisites & Authentication

The Key Provider Interface

To prevent hardcoding sensitive logic, you must implement the TruoraAPIKeyGetter interface in your code. This allows you to retrieve the temporary generated API key from a secure location (like a compiled secret, a secure storage enclave, or an obfuscated string). This interface is how the sdk will get access to the api key for the validations, the resulting api key must be of type ‘sdk’ (temporary), any other key type will result in an error.

Sample Dart Implementation

/// A secure API key provider for the Truora plugin.
/// In production, retrieve this from secure storage or a backend endpoint.
class SecureApiKeyProvider {
  final String apiKey;

  SecureApiKeyProvider(this.apiKey);

  Future<String> getApiKeyFromSecureStorage() async {
    // Implementation detail: In a production environment, you should
    // retrieve this from Flutter Secure Storage or a backend API.
    // For example:
    // final storage = FlutterSecureStorage();
    // return await storage.read(key: 'truora_api_key') ?? '';
    return apiKey;
  }
}

Configuration Options

Using custom validation config and UI config is optional when building the validation.

If no UI config is provided, then the validation view will show the standard Truora branding, logo and color, and if no validation config is provided then default values will be applied.

More indepth information on the validation configuration options, such as similarity threshold, can be found in the official validations api documentation

User ID

The userId parameter is crucial for initializing the Truora SDK. It provides a unique identifier for the user undergoing the validation process.

  • Purpose: The userId allows Truora to associate validation attempts and reference data (like previously captured reference faces) with a specific user in your system. It is mandatory for linking the validation results to your user base.

  • Best Practice: This ID should be an immutable, non-sensitive identifier from your database (e.g., a UUID or internal user ID) that uniquely identifies the person. Do not use sensitive PII like an email address or national ID number as the userId.

Language

The language parameter allows you to define the localization of the text and instructions displayed within the validation view.

  • Customization: By setting the language, you ensure a user-friendly experience by presenting instructions and feedback in the user’s preferred language.

  • Available Options: The SDK supports several languages. You should provide the language code as a two-letter string (e.g., “es” for Spanish, “en” for English, “pt” for Portuguese). If no language is provided, the SDK will typically default to English or attempt to use the device’s system language, though providing an explicit language is recommended.

Example in Initialization:

await TruoraValidationsSDK.initialize(InitializeConfig(
     getApiKeyFromSecureStorage: () => getApiKeyFromSecureStorage(),
     userId: userId, // <-- The unique identifier for the user 
     validation: { /* ... */ },
     uiConfig: { /* ... */ },
     language: "es" // <-- Sets the UI language to Spanish
   ));

Face Validation Configuration

The FaceValidationConfig allows you to customize face capture and validation behavior:

final config = FaceValidationConfig(
  // Capture settings
  useAutocapture: true,   // Auto-capture when face is detected
  similarityThreshold: 0.8,  // Matching strictness (0.0 - 1.0)
  timeout: 60,               // Timeout in seconds

  // Result handling
  waitForResults: true, // Wait for API response before closing

  // Optional: Reference face for comparison if not provided
  // one associated with the user id on Truora is used if any.
  referenceFace: ReferenceFace(
    url: 'https://example.com/reference.jpg',
  ),
);

Configuration Parameters:

Parameter Type Default Description
useAutocapture bool true Automatically capture when face is properly detected
similarityThreshold double 0.8 Minimum similarity score required (0.0 - 1.0)
timeout int 60 Maximum time in seconds for the validation
waitForResults bool false Wait for API response before closing the view
referenceFace ReferenceFace null Optional reference image for comparison

Document Validation Configuration

The DocumentValidationConfig allows you to customize document capture:


final config = DocumentValidationConfig(
  // Document details (optional - if not set, a selection screen will be shown)
  country: Country.co,                    // Country code (e.g., co, mx, pe)
  documentType: DocumentType.nationalId,  // Type of document

  // Capture settings
  useAutocapture: true,  // Auto-capture when document is detected
  timeout: 90,           // Timeout in seconds

  // Result handling
  waitForResults: true // Wait for API response before closing
);

Configuration Parameters:

Parameter Type Default Description
country Country null Country code for document validation (if not set, user selects)
documentType DocumentType null Type of document (if not set, user selects)
useAutocapture bool true Automatically capture when document is detected
timeout int 90 Maximum time in seconds for the validation
waitForResults bool false Wait for API response before closing the view

Available Countries and Document Types:

Country Code Supported Document Types
Argentina Country.ar nationalId
Brazil Country.br cnh, generalRegistration
Chile Country.cl nationalId, foreignId, driverLicense, passport
Colombia Country.co nationalId, foreignId, rut, ppt, passport, identityCard, temporaryNationalId
Costa Rica Country.cr nationalId, foreignId
El Salvador Country.sv nationalId, foreignId, passport
Mexico Country.mx nationalId, foreignId, passport
Peru Country.pe nationalId, foreignId
Venezuela Country.ve nationalId
All Country.all passport

Understanding SDK Results

Before implementing validations, it’s important to understand what results you’ll receive and how to handle them.

The SDK returns a TruoraValidationResult which can be:

  • completed: Validation process finished (contains ValidationResult)
  • canceled: Validation process canceled by the user (could contain ValidationResult)
  • error: SDK error occurred (contains TruoraError)

Validation Result Object

The plugin returns ValidationResult objects with the following structure:

class ValidationResult {
  final ValidationStatus status;     // Status of the validation
  final String? validationId;        // Unique ID for this validation
  final String? type;                // Type of the validation
}

Validation Statuses

Status Description When it occurs
ValidationStatus.success Validation passed User successfully passed the validation
ValidationStatus.failure Validation failed User did not pass the validation criteria
ValidationStatus.pending Awaiting processing Validation is being process

TruoraException Types

When the SDK returns failed, the error can be one of three types:

Exception Type Description
TruoraException.sdk Internal SDK error (configuration, permissions, user actions)
TruoraException.validationApi Error from the Truora Validation API
TruoraException.network Network connectivity error

Common SDK Error Types (SDKErrorType):

Error Type Code Description
cameraPermissionError 20011 Camera permission was denied
invalidApiKey 20017 API key is invalid or expired
invalidConfiguration 20024 SDK configuration is invalid
networkError 20025 Network connection failed
uploadFailed 20026 Failed to upload captured media

Handling Example

switch (result) {
  case TruoraValidationCompleted(result: final validation):
   // Validation process completed - check the validation status
   print('Validation ID: ${validation.validationId}');
   print('Status: ${validation.status}');
   print('Type: ${validation.type}');

   if (validation.status == ValidationStatus.success) {
     // User passed the validation
     Navigator.pushNamed(context, '/success');
   } else if (validation.status == ValidationStatus.failure) {
     // User did not pass the validation criteria
     _showRetryDialog();
   }
   break;

  case TruoraValidationError(error: final err, partialResult: final pr):
   // SDK error occurred - handle based on error type
   _handleSDKError(err);
   break;
  case TruoraValidationCanceled(partialResult: final validation):
  // User cancelled - just go back
   Navigator.pop(context);
   break;
}

void _handleSDKError(TruoraException error) {
 switch (error) {
  case TruoraSDKException(code: final code, message: final msg):
     switch (code) {
       case 20011:
         // Camera permission denied 
         _showPermissionDialog();
         break;
       default:
         _showErrorDialog(message);
     }
     break;

  case TruoraNetworkException(message: final msg):
     _showErrorDialog('Connection error: $msg');
     break;

  case TruoraApiException(message: final msg, httpCode: final httpCode):
     _showErrorDialog('API error: ${msg} for http ${httpCode}');
     break;
 }
}

Implementation

Now that you understand configurations and result handling, let’s implement validations.

Basic Face Validation

Here’s a complete example of implementing face validation in Flutter:

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

class ValidationScreen extends StatefulWidget {
 @override
 _ValidationScreenState createState() => _ValidationScreenState();
}

class _ValidationScreenState extends State<ValidationScreen> {
 
 final SecureApiKeyProvider _apiKeyProvider = SecureApiKeyProvider('YOUR_API_KEY');

 String _validationStatus = 'Ready to start validation';
 bool _isValidating = false;

 @override
 void initState() {
   super.initState();
   _initializeSDK();
 }

 Future<void> _initializeSDK() async {
   try {
     final apiKey = await _apiKeyProvider.getApiKeyFromSecureStorage();
     await TruoraValidationsSDK.initialize(apiKey: apiKey, userId: 'flutter-test-user');
   } catch (e) {
     setState(() {
       _validationStatus = 'Initialization failed: $e';
     });
   }
 }

 Future<void> _startFaceValidation() async {
   setState(() {
     _isValidating = true;
     _validationStatus = 'Starting face validation...';
   });

   // Configure the validation
   final config = FaceValidationConfig(
     useAutocapture: true,
     similarityThreshold: 0.8,
     timeout: 60,
     waitForResults: true,
   );

   // Optional: Customize UI
   final uiConfig = UIConfig(
     primaryColor: '#435AE0',
     surfaceColor: '#FFFFFF',
     errorColor: '#FF5454',
     logoUrl: 'https://your-cdn.com/logo.png',
   );

   // Start the validation
   
  await TruoraValidationsSDK.initialize(InitializeConfig(
     getApiKeyFromSecureStorage: () => _apiKeyProvider.getApiKeyFromSecureStorage(),
     userId: 'flutter-test-user',
     validation: config,
     uiConfig: uiConfig,
     language: 'es' 
   ));
   final result = await TruoraValidationsSDK.start();

   // Handle the result
   _handleValidationResult(result);
 }

 void _handleValidationResult(TruoraValidationResult result) {
   setState(() {
     _isValidating = false;
   });

   switch (result) {
     case TruoraValidationCompleted(result: final validation):
       switch (validation.status) {
         case ValidationStatus.success:
           setState(() {
             _validationStatus = 'Success! ID: ${validation.validationId}';
           });
           break;
         case ValidationStatus.failure:
           setState(() {
             _validationStatus = 'Validation failed. Please try again.';
           });
           break;
         case ValidationStatus.pending:
           setState(() {
             _validationStatus = 'Processing...';
           });
           break;
       }
       break;

     case TruoraValidationError(error: final err, partialResult: final pr):
       setState(() {
         _validationStatus = 'Error: ${err.message}';
       });
       break;
     case TruoraValidationCanceled(partialResult: final validation):
       break;
   }
 }

 @override
 Widget build(BuildContext context) {
   return Scaffold(
     appBar: AppBar(
       title: Text('Truora Validation'),
     ),
     body: Center(
       child: Column(
         mainAxisAlignment: MainAxisAlignment.center,
         children: [
           Text(
             _validationStatus,
             style: Theme.of(context).textTheme.titleMedium,
             textAlign: TextAlign.center,
           ),
           SizedBox(height: 40),
           ElevatedButton(
             onPressed: _isValidating ? null : _startFaceValidation,
             child: _isValidating
                 ? CircularProgressIndicator(color: Colors.white)
                 : Text('Start Face Validation'),
             style: ElevatedButton.styleFrom(
               padding: EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 32, vertical: 16),
             ),
           ),
         ],
       ),
     ),
   );
 }
}

Document Validation

For document validation, use the DocumentValidationConfig:

Future<void> _startDocumentValidation() async {
 final config = DocumentValidationConfig(
   country: Country.co,
   documentType: DocumentType.nationalId,
   useAutocapture: true,
   timeout: 60,
   waitForResults: true,
 );

 await TruoraValidationsSDK.initialize(InitializeConfig(
     getApiKeyFromSecureStorage: () => _apiKeyProvider.getApiKeyFromSecureStorage(),
     userId: 'flutter-test-user',
     validation: config,
     uiConfig: uiConfig,
     language: 'es' 
   ));
 final result = await TruoraValidationsSDK.start();

 _handleValidationResult(result);
}

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. Camera not working on Android
    Solution: Verify that camera permissions are added to AndroidManifest.xml and that the user has granted permission at runtime.

  2. Build fails on iOS
    Solution: Run cd ios && pod install and ensure your iOS deployment target is set to 13.0 or higher in both Podfile and Xcode project settings.

  3. “API Key Invalid” error
    Solution: Verify your API key is correct and has the proper grants (generator or sdk type). Check that it hasn’t expired.

  4. Validation timeout
    Solution: Increase the timeout value in the config, or ensure the device has a stable internet connection.