diff --git a/dev/integration_tests/non_nullable/lib/main.dart b/dev/integration_tests/non_nullable/lib/main.dart
index 0ca8efc78f4..6e0fb3ac9bd 100644
--- a/dev/integration_tests/non_nullable/lib/main.dart
+++ b/dev/integration_tests/non_nullable/lib/main.dart
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
       title: 'Flutter Demo',
       theme: ThemeData(
         primarySwatch: Colors.blue,
-        visualDensity: VisualDensity.adaptivePlatformDensity,
       ),
       home: const Center(child: Text('hello, world'))
     );
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart
index 0d940a07991..9afb5a9fc84 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ class ThemeData with Diagnosticable {
     assert(colorScheme?.brightness == null || brightness == null || colorScheme.brightness == brightness);
     final Brightness _brightness = brightness ?? colorScheme?.brightness ?? Brightness.light;
     final bool isDark = _brightness == Brightness.dark;
-    visualDensity ??= const VisualDensity();
+    visualDensity ??= VisualDensity.adaptivePlatformDensity;
     primarySwatch ??= Colors.blue;
     primaryColor ??= isDark ? Colors.grey[900] : primarySwatch;
     primaryColorBrightness ??= estimateBrightnessForColor(primaryColor);
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/material/theme_data_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/material/theme_data_test.dart
index 2bc3bf83cd0..7c7d7728d57 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/material/theme_data_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/material/theme_data_test.dart
@@ -195,6 +195,21 @@ void main() {
     }
   }, variant: TargetPlatformVariant.all());
 
+  testWidgets('VisualDensity in ThemeData defaults to "compact" on desktop and "standard" on mobile', (WidgetTester tester) async {
+    final ThemeData themeData = ThemeData();
+    switch (debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride) {
+      case TargetPlatform.android:
+      case TargetPlatform.iOS:
+      case TargetPlatform.fuchsia:
+        expect(themeData.visualDensity, equals(const VisualDensity()));
+        break;
+      case TargetPlatform.linux:
+      case TargetPlatform.macOS:
+      case TargetPlatform.windows:
+        expect(themeData.visualDensity, equals(VisualDensity.compact));
+    }
+  }, variant: TargetPlatformVariant.all());
+
   testWidgets('ThemeData.copyWith correctly creates new ThemeData with all copied arguments', (WidgetTester tester) async {
 
     final SliderThemeData sliderTheme = SliderThemeData.fromPrimaryColors(
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/sliver_fill_remaining_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/sliver_fill_remaining_test.dart
index 3a78720008c..877b67dc7ba 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/sliver_fill_remaining_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/sliver_fill_remaining_test.dart
@@ -319,13 +319,14 @@ void main() {
           tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(logo).size,
           const Size(100.0, 100.0),
         );
-        expect(tester.getCenter(logo), const Offset(400.0, 351.0));
+        final VisualDensity density = VisualDensity.adaptivePlatformDensity;
+        expect(tester.getCenter(logo), Offset(400.0, 351.0 - density.vertical * 2.0));
 
         // Also check that the button alignment is true to expectations
         final Finder button = find.byType(ElevatedButton);
         expect(
           tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(button).size,
-          const Size(116.0, 48.0),
+          Size(116.0 + density.horizontal * 8.0, 48.0 + density.vertical * 4.0),
         );
         expect(tester.getBottomLeft(button).dy, equals(600.0));
         expect(tester.getCenter(button).dx, equals(400.0));
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ void main() {
         expect(tester.getCenter(logo).dy, lessThan(351.0));
         expect(
           tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(button).size,
-          const Size(116.0, 48.0),
+          Size(116.0 + density.horizontal * 8.0, 48.0 + density.vertical * 4.0),
         );
         expect(tester.getBottomLeft(button).dy, lessThan(600.0));
         expect(tester.getCenter(button).dx, equals(400.0));
@@ -463,7 +464,7 @@ void main() {
           await tester.pump();
           expect(
             tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(find.byKey(key)).size.height,
-            equals(148.0),
+            equals(148.0 + VisualDensity.adaptivePlatformDensity.vertical * 4.0),
           );
           // Check that the button alignment is true to expectations
           final Finder button = find.byType(ElevatedButton);
@@ -486,7 +487,7 @@ void main() {
           await tester.pumpAndSettle();
           expect(
             tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(find.byKey(key)).size.height,
-            equals(148.0),
+            equals(148.0 + VisualDensity.adaptivePlatformDensity.vertical * 4.0),
           );
         }, variant: const TargetPlatformVariant(<TargetPlatform>{ TargetPlatform.iOS,  TargetPlatform.macOS }));
 
@@ -588,13 +589,14 @@ void main() {
             tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(logo).size,
             const Size(100.0, 100.0),
           );
-          expect(tester.getCenter(logo), const Offset(400.0, 351.0));
+          final VisualDensity density = VisualDensity.adaptivePlatformDensity;
+          expect(tester.getCenter(logo), Offset(400.0, 351.0 - density.vertical * 2.0));
 
           // Also check that the button alignment is true to expectations.
           final Finder button = find.byType(ElevatedButton);
           expect(
             tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(button).size,
-            const Size(116.0, 48.0),
+            Size(116.0 + density.horizontal * 8.0, 48.0 + density.vertical * 4.0),
           );
           expect(tester.getBottomLeft(button).dy, equals(600.0));
           expect(tester.getCenter(button).dx, equals(400.0));
@@ -615,7 +617,7 @@ void main() {
           expect(tester.getCenter(logo).dy, lessThan(351.0));
           expect(
             tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(button).size,
-            const Size(116.0, 48.0),
+            Size(116.0 + density.horizontal * 8.0, 48.0 + density.vertical * 4.0),
           );
           expect(tester.getBottomLeft(button).dy, equals(600.0));
           expect(tester.getCenter(button).dx, equals(400.0));
@@ -631,10 +633,10 @@ void main() {
             tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(logo).size,
             const Size(100.0, 100.0),
           );
-          expect(tester.getCenter(logo), const Offset(400.0, 351.0));
+          expect(tester.getCenter(logo), Offset(400.0, 351.0 - density.vertical * 2.0));
           expect(
             tester.renderObject<RenderBox>(button).size,
-            const Size(116.0, 48.0),
+            Size(116.0 + density.horizontal * 8.0, 48.0 + density.vertical * 4.0),
           );
           expect(tester.getBottomLeft(button).dy, equals(600.0));
           expect(tester.getCenter(button).dx, equals(400.0));
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/app/lib/main.dart.tmpl b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/app/lib/main.dart.tmpl
index 80691b7d03f..5a82f64575f 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/templates/app/lib/main.dart.tmpl
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/templates/app/lib/main.dart.tmpl
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@ class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
         // Notice that the counter didn't reset back to zero; the application
         // is not restarted.
         primarySwatch: Colors.blue,
-        // This makes the visual density adapt to the platform that you run
-        // the app on. For desktop platforms, the controls will be smaller and
-        // closer together (more dense) than on mobile platforms.
-        visualDensity: VisualDensity.adaptivePlatformDensity,
       ),
       home: MyHomePage(title: 'Flutter Demo Home Page'),
     );