diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index 7ca3f7a..1b29843 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -141,19 +141,12 @@ class _MyHomePageState extends State<MyHomePage> {
     } else {
       // Generate a key pair
 
-      keyPair = await generateKeyPair();
+      final generatedKeyPair =
+          await generateKeyPair(); // local variable avoids downcast to ? ptr
+      keyPair = generatedKeyPair;
 
       setState(() {
-        // private to hex string
-        // key = privateKey
-        //     .map((byte) => byte.toRadixString(16).padLeft(2, '0'))
-        //     .join('');
-
-        if (keyPair != null) {
-          key = encodePublicKey(keyPair!, comment: "leinelab-app-key");
-        } else {
-          key = "No key pair generated.";
-        }
+        key = encodePublicKey(generatedKeyPair, comment: "leinelab-app-key");
       });
 
       await SystemChannels.platform.invokeMethod<void>(