What's new in Jetpack Compose August 2026 release
Mesh gradients and wide color gamut support for Android UI development
1Core Updates
The August 2026 release of Jetpack Compose brings version 1.12 across core modules, introducing visual APIs like mesh gradients, wide color gamut (WCG) support, and named areas in Grid layouts. It features seamless integration with Android's Credential Manager and significant testing/performance improvements. To update, upgrade your Compose BOM version to 2026.08.00: implementation(platform('androidx.compose:compose-bom:2026.08.00')).
2Graphics Enhancements
MeshGradientPainter enables creation of multi-point organic color gradients with customizable 1x1 to 4x4 grid configurations. Wide Color Gamut (P3) and HDR rendering support has been enabled throughout Compose's graphics pipeline. Colors automatically fall back to sRGB in unsupported color spaces (CieXyz, CieLab) or on Android 9 and below.
3Layout Features
LayerOutsets added to GraphicsLayer Modifier.graphicsLayer allows extending visual bounds beyond measured size. This prevents implicit clipToBounds behavior when layers are promoted to offscreen buffers. Named areas in Grid enable more readable definitions of complex layouts.
4Runtime Optimizations
Keyed SideEffect overload introduced, enabling one-shot side effects when specific keys change. It's 90% faster than LaunchedEffect and 20% faster than DisposableEffect. DeferredTargetAnimation graduated from experimental status. New DeferredAnimatedContent and DeferredAnimatedVisibility composables support two-stage transitions.
5Text Editing Improvements
BasicTextField now supports rich-text formatting. Within TextFieldBuffer scope, use SpanStyle and ParagraphStyle for inline character/paragraph formatting. getSpanStyles() and getParagraphStyles() APIs allow reading and updating applied styles. TextFieldState's textStyles property enables querying active styles.
6Testing & Performance
Compose 1.12 delivers faster build times through compile-time optimizations. Modifier.onFirstVisible() is deprecated in favor of Modifier.onVisibilityChanged() with more precise visibility threshold tracking. AGP Compile SDK requirement raised to API 37, requiring minimum AGP 9.1.1.
7Animation Controls
During deferred transition phase, animation properties like scale/offset can be manipulated in real-time. New permitTransformDuringDeferredTransition flag in SharedContentConfig controls visual transformations of shared elements. Transition engine ensures seamless handoff including velocity transfer.
8The Future of Android UI
This update sets new standards in Android UI development. Mesh gradients and wide color gamut support enable professional visual experiences. Runtime optimizations and new animation controls significantly improve app performance and user interactions. Compose is becoming an increasingly mature and comprehensive solution for native Android development.
Original article: Android Developers Blog — Jetpack Compose Ağustos 2026 sürümünde yenilikler