Path Provider PlatformException 'Unable to establish connection on channel'

[niclasEX]

Trying to use path_provider together with this package (tested ffmpeg_kit_flutter_new and ffmpeg_kit_flutter_new_min) it returns

Unhandled Exception: PlatformException(channel-error, Unable to establish connection on channel: "dev.flutter.pigeon.path_provider_android.PathProviderApi.getApplicationDocumentsPath"., null, null)
E/flutter ( 4072): #0      PathProviderApi.getApplicationDocumentsPath (package:path_provider_android/messages.g.dart:142)
E/flutter ( 4072): <asynchronous suspension>
E/flutter ( 4072): #1      getApplicationDocumentsDirectory (package:path_provider/path_provider.dart:121)
E/flutter ( 4072): <asynchronous suspension>
E/flutter ( 4072): #2      main (package:loadapp_reloaded/main.dart:38)
E/flutter ( 4072): <asynchronous suspension>
E/flutter ( 4072):

This only occurs in release. This can be reproduced on multiple Android devices.

niclas$ flutter --version
Flutter 3.38.2 • channel stable • https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
Framework • revision f5a8537f90 (3 weeks ago) • 2025-11-18 09:27:21 -0500
Engine • hash 78c3c9557e50ee7c676fa37562558c59efd8406a (revision b5990e5ccc) (26 days ago) • 2025-11-12 21:08:24.000Z
Tools • Dart 3.10.0 • DevTools 2.51.1

I have created a minimal reproducible example here with 2 applications.

• ffmpeg_path_provider_mre
  • dependes on path_provider and ffmpeg_kit_flutter_new
  • calls getApplicationsDocumentsDirectory()
  • breaks in release with the aforementioned exception
• ffmpeg_pigeon_mre
  • depends on ffmpeg_kit_flutter_new
  • implements a minimal example using pigeon for ffi setup
  • does not break in release

This workaround enables path_provider to work as expected

[app/build.gradle]
...
buildTypes {
        release {
            // workaround: uncomment the following lines to make path_provider work as expected
            // isMinifyEnabled = false
            // isShrinkResources = false
            signingConfig = signingConfigs.getByName("debug")
        }
    }

I have tried to create some ProGuard Rules to no success (both for path_provider andffmpeg_kit_flutter_new).

I can not quite say why this is breaking and if path_provider and/or ffmpeg_kit_flutter_new might have to change something to make this work as expected.

[Shrey00]

Facing the same issue. ProGuard rules may not work since ffmpeg uses JNI, and the registration happens before proguard rules mapping.

[niclasEX]

@Shrey00
With #133 the issue seems fixed.

I don't know how to use this branch to depend on a specific ffmpeg-kit package. That is why in my example here I have changed the dependency to ffmpeg_kit_flutter_new from ffmpeg_kit_flutter_new_min.
Any help on how to do this would be appreciated :)

[niclasEX]

#116
This also fixes the issue and can be done without having to wait for any PR to be merged.
I have created another example branch here