diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart
index cb27ae11b8..b3ede1c850 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart
@@ -25,11 +25,12 @@ enum TargetPlatform {
 ///
 /// This is the default value of [ThemeData.platform] (hence the name). Widgets
 /// from the material library should use [Theme.of] to determine the current
-/// platform, rather than using [defaultTargetPlatform]. However, if there is
-/// widget behavior that depends on the actual underlying platform (e.g. because
-/// it is controlling data being sent to the platform APIs, not just trying to
-/// follow the platform's conventions) then depending on [defaultTargetPlatform]
-/// makes sense.
+/// platform for styling purposes, rather than using [defaultTargetPlatform].
+/// However, if there is widget behavior that depends on the actual underlying
+/// platform, then depending on [defaultTargetPlatform] makes sense.
+/// [dart.io.Platform.environment] should be used directly only when it's
+/// critical to actually know the current platform, without any overrides
+/// possible (for example, when a system API is about to be called).
 ///
 /// In a test environment, the platform returned is [TargetPlatform.android]
 /// regardless of the host platform. (Android was chosen because the tests were
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart
index 3949d8dca1..cd7d0a18cb 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/theme_data.dart
@@ -530,7 +530,14 @@ class ThemeData extends Diagnosticable {
 
   /// The platform the material widgets should adapt to target.
   ///
-  /// Defaults to the current platform.
+  /// Defaults to the current platform. This should be used in order to style UI
+  /// elements according to platform conventions.
+  ///
+  /// [Platform.defaultTargetPlatform] should be used directly instead only in
+  /// rare cases where it's necessary to determine behavior based on the
+  /// platform. [dart.io.Platform.environment] should be used when it's critical
+  /// to actually know the current platform, without any overrides possible (for
+  /// example, when a system API is about to be called).
   final TargetPlatform platform;
 
   /// Configures the hit test size of certain Material widgets.