10 Essential Compose Updates Every Android Developer Should Know
It's time to modernize your Compose code from 2024.
1Revolutionary Changes in Compose
Android developers have seen 10 major updates to Jetpack Compose in the past year. The navigation system was fundamentally redesigned, while state management gained a new tier. Scroll performance now matches RecyclerView. Text fields received a completely different state model, and shadows finally work as designers expect. Developers still writing Compose as in 2024 are doing unnecessary work.
2Breakthrough in Scroll Performance
The December 2025 update brought Compose's scroll performance to parity with View-based systems. Google's internal benchmarks show significant improvements in jank reduction. This development debunks the 'Compose is slower' argument that persisted since 2021. The performance boost comes from 'pausable composition' enabled by default. Developers only need to update the BOM to benefit.
3New State Management: retain{}
Compose 1.10 introduced the retain{} API, adding a new tier to state management. It's ideal for non-serializable objects that should survive configuration changes (players, bitmaps). This eliminates the need to hoist UI-scoped objects into ViewModels. retain{} persists through configuration changes but not process death. When used with RetainedEffect, it prevents resource leaks.
4Navigation 3: Back Stack Control
Navigation 3 gives developers full control over back stack management. Type-safe keys enable safer navigation. While the old system made NavController own navigation state, the new system puts developers in charge. This change particularly benefits complex navigation flows. The stable version of Navigation 3 was released in December 2025.
5Shadow Effects Perfected
The introduction of dropShadow() and innerShadow() functions finally delivers shadow effects as designers intended. Developers no longer need to write shadow workarounds. These new APIs offer significant improvements in both performance and visual quality. They work in perfect harmony with Material 3 design guidelines, enhancing UI consistency.
6Performance with LazyLayoutCacheWindow
For heavy lists, LazyLayoutCacheWindow (experimental) helps optimize prefetch settings. This feature significantly improves scroll performance with complex lists, minimizing frame drops especially with large datasets. Developers can now completely move away from RecyclerView by enabling this feature.
7TextFieldState Revolution
A completely new state model called TextFieldState was introduced for text fields. Developers should migrate from value/onValueChange to SecureTextField. This new model provides more consistent state management, particularly for forms. Automatic sizing and improved autofill support were also added. Adding semantics to login flows is now easier.
8onVisibilityChanged Redesigned
onFirstVisible is now deprecated and replaced by onVisibilityChanged. This change offers a more consistent API for tracking component visibility states. The new system more accurately reflects lifecycle events. Developers should update their codebases to use this new API.
9Material 3 Expressive Design
Material 3's 'Expressive' theme delivers a more customizable design experience. Developers are encouraged to prototype at least one screen with this theme. The new theme offers a broader range of color palettes and typography options. UI components now behave more dynamically and adaptively.
10Major Test API Update
With v2 test APIs, StandardTestDispatcher becomes the default. This change ensures more consistent test suite behavior, specifically targeting 'flaky' test issues. Developers need to update their test code to this new API and reevaluate test results.
11Minimum BOM Requirements
Most of these features require BOM version 2025.12.00 as minimum. The current stable version is 2026.04.01. Developers should use platform(androidx.compose:compose-bom:2026.04.01). Some features may not work or behave differently on older versions. Updating project BOM versions is critical.
12Preparing for the Future
These updates signal Compose's maturity for Android developers. Most advantages of View-based systems are now available in Compose. By adopting these changes, developers can create more performant and maintainable apps. In 2026 and beyond, Compose will play an even more central role in the Android ecosystem.