Saving Flutter image from gallery with ImagePicker - flutter

Question

I have this function to save image from gallery and display it as a background:
Future _getImage() async {
// ImagePicker picker = ImagePicker();
PickedFile pickedFile = await picker.getImage(source: ImageSource.gallery);
if (pickedFile == null) return;
File tmpFile = File(pickedFile.path);
tmpFile = await tmpFile.copy(tmpFile.path);
setState(() {
if (pickedFile != null) {
//_image = File(pickedFile.path);
_image = tmpFile;
print('_image: $_image');
} else {
print('No image selected');
}
});
}
but after I invoke it, it says that the image is empty:
File: '/data/user/0/com.app.flutter/cache/image_picker5156338879856055740.jpg' is empty and cannot be loaded as an image.
I'm not sure what's happening here, since it prints the image in the console fine like this:
_image: File: '/data/user/0/com.app.flutter/cache/image_picker5156338879856055740.jpg
so it means that it is in the cache, but for some reason it returns as empty and won't add the image to the background:
decoration: BoxDecoration(
image: DecorationImage(
image: _image == null
? MemoryImage(kTransparentImage)
: FileImage(_image),
fit: BoxFit.cover,
added the build just in case there is an error there, but I don't think there is. Basically I just need the image from gallery to be persistent and stay in the app.
EDIT: Added the setState() to the code, but it is still not persistent, there must be something I'm missing:
Future _getImage() async {
// ImagePicker picker = ImagePicker();
PickedFile pickedFile = await picker.getImage(source: ImageSource.gallery);
if (pickedFile == null) {
return null;
}
Directory appDirectory = await getApplicationDocumentsDirectory();
File newImage = File(appDirectory.path + 'fileName');
newImage.writeAsBytes(File(pickedFile.path).readAsBytesSync());
setState(() {
_image = newImage;
print(newImage.path + ' test');
});
}

Answer 1

Try this
Future _getImage() async {
ImagePicker picker = ImagePicker();
final pickedFile = await picker.getImage(source: ImageSource.gallery);
if (pickedFile == null) {
return null;
}
Directory appDirectory = await getApplicationDocumentsDirectory();
File newImage = File(appDirectory.path + 'fileName');
await newImage.writeAsBytes(File(pickedFile.path).readAsBytesSync());
setState(() {
_image = newImage;
});
}

Answer 2

Nevermind, I managed to make it persistent with SharedPreferences, I simply made two different functions, each to save or load the image, and added _loadImage() to initState
void _saveImage(path) async {
SharedPreferences saveImage = await SharedPreferences.getInstance();
saveImage.setString('imagepath', path);
print('Image Saved!');
void _loadImage() async {
SharedPreferences saveImage = await SharedPreferences.getInstance();
setState(() {
_imagepath = saveImage.getString('imagepath');
});
}