Adaptive

Prerequisites

The app must:

• Use Compose for all screens. If it's still using Fragments or Views, suggest using the XML to Compose skill to migrate those screens.

• Use Jetpack Navigation 3. If it doesn't, suggest the Navigation 3 skill to migrate the app.

Workflow to make an app adaptive

To make an app adaptive, follow these steps or a subset of them adapting to the task.

• Step 1: Verify current UI

• Step 2: Make the navigation bar adaptive

• Step 3: Add multi-pane layouts

• Step 4: Make vertical lists adaptive by changing the number of columns

• Step 5: Hide app bars when scrolling

• Step 6: Preserve UI state across configuration changes

• Step 7: Add desktop experiences

• Step 8: Support foldable devices

Step 1. Verify current UI

Ensure that screenshot tests exist to verify the current UI on different form factors. If they don't exist, add the Compose Preview Screenshot Testing tool. Use the following annotation to create previews for all the major form factors. For example:

@Preview(name = "Phone", device = Devices.PHONE, showBackground = true)
@Preview(name = "Foldable", device = Devices.FOLDABLE, showBackground = true)
@Preview(name = "Tablet", device = Devices.TABLET, showBackground = true)
@Preview(name = "Desktop", device = Devices.DESKTOP, showBackground = true)
annotation class FormFactorPreviews

@PreviewTest
@FormFactorPreviews
@Composable
fun FeedScreenPreview() {
    SnippetsTheme {
        Box {
            Text("My Screen")
        }
    }
}

<br />

Step 2. Make the navigation bar adaptive

Bottom navigation bars are optimized for touch input when the user is holding a phone in portrait mode. On larger screen hand-held devices, like tablets and unfolded foldables, the navigation area must be accessible from the edge of the screen (navigation rail).

If you need to provide more screen space for the content, hide the navigation area. Examples of this include:

• Hiding the navigation bar when the user scrolls down and showing it again when the user scrolls up. The assumption is that when the user is scrolling down, they are consuming content but when scrolling up they are trying to navigate away from that content.

• Hiding the navigation area when its content is distracting. For example, in camera previews or when displaying a full-screen photo.

When the detail screen is displayed full-screen on mobile, full-screen mode must be deactivated on larger screens.

Steps to migrate:

• Locate the existing navigation bar.

• Convert each item to a NavigationSuiteItem.

• Identify whether the navigation bar's visibility changes. For example, if it is wrapped with an AnimatedContent or AnimatedVisibility composable. If so, follow the guidance in the "Control navigation area visibility".

• Replace the container that held the navigation bar (often a Scaffold) with NavigationSuiteScaffold from the Material 3 adaptive layouts library.

• Supply the navigation items using the navigationItems parameter of NavigationSuiteScaffold.

Step 2.1. Control navigation area visibility

If the navigation bar's visibility changes - it is hidden under certain scenarios or on certain screens - this behavior must be maintained with the adaptive navigation area. This is done using NavigationSuiteScaffold's state parameter.

Steps to migrate:

• Identify the scenarios under which the navigation bar is hidden. This is usually done with a boolean variable for the visibility. Use isNavBarVisible or shouldShowNavBar as the variable name.

• Create an instance of NavigationSuiteScaffoldState using rememberNavigationSuiteScaffoldState() and pass it to NavigationSuiteScaffold.

• When the navigation area visibility changes, use a LaunchedEffect to call show or hide on the NavigationSuiteScaffoldState.

For example:

// Pass this variable to any composable that needs to control the navigation area visibility
var isNavBarVisible by remember { mutableStateOf(true) }
val scaffoldVisibilityState = rememberNavigationSuiteScaffoldState()

NavigationSuiteScaffold(
    navigationSuiteItems = navItems,
    state = scaffoldVisibilityState
) {
    // Main content
}

LaunchedEffect(isNavBarVisible){
    if (isNavBarVisible) {
        scaffoldVisibilityState.show()
    } else {
        scaffoldVisibilityState.hide()
    }
}

<br />

Step 3. Add multi-pane layouts using Navigation 3 Scenes

Analyze the codebase looking for related screens - tapping on something in one screen opens another screen that shows information related to the first. There are two canonical screen relationships: list-detail and supporting pane.

IMPORTANT: You must use the Navigation 3 SceneStrategy approach to implement multi-pane layouts. Do not use ListDetailPaneScaffold or SupportingPaneScaffold.

Step 3.1. List-detail

Identify the list and detail screens

List-detail layouts display a list of items (this is the list screen) and clicking on an item opens a new screen that shows more details about that item (the detail screen).

Typical usage includes productivity apps like email, notes, and messaging.

Unless requested explicitly, avoid this pattern when the detail content requires substantial screen space (e.g., images or media that benefits from a full-screen presentation).

Add a Material list-detail SceneStrategy

• Add the androidx.compose.material3.adaptive:adaptive-navigation3 library

• Create an androidx.compose.material3.adaptive.navigation3.ListDetailSceneStrategy using rememberListDetailSceneStrategy

• Pass the ListDetailSceneStrategy to NavDisplay using its sceneStrategies parameter

Use metadata to identify the list and detail screens

• Add metadata using entry(metadata = ...) or NavEntry(metadata = ...) to the list entry using ListDetailSceneStrategy.listPane(detailPlaceholder = { <placeholder composable> }).

• Use the detailPlaceholder parameter to add a placeholder on the detail screen when no list items are selected.

• Add metadata to the detail entry using ListDetailSceneStrategy.detailPane().

Important considerations

• When a detail screen displays its content full-screen on mobile (content fills the entire screen, bars or rails are hidden), full-screen mode must be deactivated if it's part of a list-detail layout.

• Detail screens must not show a back arrow when on a list-detail layout.

For a reference implementation, check the Nav3 Material List Detail recipe.

Step 3.2. Supporting pane

Identify supporting pane screens where a main screen displays a single item, and selecting it opens a "supporting screen" with more details. The supporting screen complements the main screen and is shown in a supporting pane.

Add a Material supporting pane SceneStrategy

• If you haven't already, add the androidx.compose.material3.adaptive:adaptive-navigation3 library

• Create an androidx.compose.material3.adaptive.navigation3.SupportingPaneSceneStrategy using rememberSupportingPaneSceneStrategy

• Pass the SupportingPaneSceneStrategy to NavDisplay using its sceneStrategies parameter

Use metadata to identify the main and supporting screens

• Add metadata using entry(metadata = ...) or NavEntry(metadata = ...) to the main entry using SupportingPaneSceneStrategy.mainPane()

• Add metadata to the supporting entry using SupportingPaneSceneStrategy.supportingPane()

Step 3.3. Run screenshot tests

If you have made changes, record new reference files. Ask the user to visually verify that the new layouts are correct.

Step 4. Make vertical lists adaptive by changing the number of columns

Step 4.1. Make lazy lists adaptive

Look for the following vertical list composables: LazyColumn, LazyVerticalGrid, LazyVerticalStaggeredGrid.

Steps to migrate:

• Choose a suitable minimum width in dp for the column. The item must be clearly visible to the user at this width.

• For LazyColumn: change to a LazyVerticalGrid and follow the instruction later

• For LazyVerticalGrid: change the columns parameter to use GridCells.Adaptive(<width>.dp)

• For LazyVerticalStaggeredGrid: change the columns parameter to use StaggeredGridCells.Adaptive(<width>.dp)

Step 4.2. Migrate non-lazy lists to Grid

WARNING: Grid is an experimental API available from Compose 1.11.0-beta01. Confirm with the user that they are happy to use an experimental API in their codebase.

Look for any Column that contains multiple items of the same type and replace it with Grid. Do not replace it with LazyVerticalGrid or any other lazy layout. Do not place Grid inside the existing Column. Completely replace it.

Grid is configured by supplying a lambda (an extension function on GridConfigurationScope) to its config parameter. Inside the lambda, constraints provides the minimum and maximum dimensions of the grid container and can be used to change the number of rows and columns based on the available size. For example, the following code configures Grid such that when the available width is:

• less than 800dp, a 2x4 grid is used

• 800dp or more, a 4x2 grid is used

Grid(
    config = {
        val maxWidthDp = constraints.maxWidth.toDp()
        val (cols, rows) = if (maxWidthDp < 800.dp){
            2 to 4
        } else{
            4 to 2
        }

        val gapSizeDp = 8.dp
        val cellSize = ((maxWidthDp - (gapSizeDp * (cols - 1))) / cols).coerceAtLeast(0.dp)
        repeat(cols) { column(cellSize) }
        repeat(rows) { row(cellSize) }
        gap(gapSizeDp)
    }
) { /** items **/ }

<br />

Grid is an experimental API so add the @OptIn(ExperimentalGridApi::class) annotation to any function that uses it.

Step 5: Hide App Bars when scrolling

In an app with multiple top-level destinations, each screen must manage its own app bar state independently. There are two main scroll behaviors:

• exitUntilCollapsedScrollBehavior: Hides on scroll down, stays hidden while you scroll up until you reach the very top (0 offset).

• enterAlwaysScrollBehavior: Hides on scroll down, shows immediately on scroll up.

Step 6: Preserve UI state across configuration changes

IMPORTANT: Never add android:configChanges or android:screenOrientation to AndroidManifest.xml to suppress Activity recreation or lock orientation. Opting out of recreation hides state-loss bugs instead of fixing them, breaks adaptive resource reloading, and prevents an app's process from restarting.

When fixing state loss across configuration changes, systematically audit every usage of remember across all screens, components, and state holders (in other words, do not only search for remember { mutableStateOf(...) }):

Step 6.1. Preserve primitive and custom UI state in Composables

• Replace remember { mutableStateOf(...) } with rememberSaveable { mutableStateOf(...) } for user input and interactive UI state, such as TextField draft text, search queries, scroll position, and toggle states.

• Key state on relevant identifiers when appropriate (e.g., rememberSaveable(conversationId) { mutableStateOf("") }).

• For custom data classes or collections (for example, a Set) that are not natively Bundle-saveable:

  • When delegating a MutableState<T> via var state by rememberSaveable(...) { mutableStateOf(...) }, pass your custom Saver using stateSaver (do not pass saver = ... when the block returns MutableState<T>):

// this Saver implementation converts CustomState object which we don't know how to save
// to List<String> which we can save
private val CustomStateSaver = Saver<CustomState, List<String>>(
    save = { customState -> customState.values.map { it.value } },
    restore = { values -> CustomState(values.map { CustomStateValue.valueOf(it) }.toSet()) }
)

@Composable
fun MyComposable() {
    var customState by rememberSaveable(stateSaver = CustomStateSaver) {
        mutableStateOf(CustomState())
    }
}

<br />

• Alternatively, annotate the class with @Serializable and use rememberSerializable.

Step 6.2. Preserve scroll state in lazy and scrollable layouts

Plain remember { LazyListState() }, remember { LazyGridState() }, and remember { ScrollState(...) } do not save scroll position across configuration changes because they bypass the state class's Saver.

Inspect all scrollable containers (LazyColumn, LazyRow, LazyVerticalGrid, LazyHorizontalGrid, LazyVerticalStaggeredGrid, Modifier.verticalScroll, and Modifier.horizontalScroll) across all screens and reusable components, and replace plain remember instantiations with the built-in saveable factory functions:

• remember { LazyListState() } -> rememberLazyListState()

• remember { LazyGridState() } -> rememberLazyGridState()

• remember { LazyStaggeredGridState() } -> rememberLazyStaggeredGridState()

• remember { ScrollState(initial = 0) } -> rememberScrollState()

Step 6.3. Preserve Navigation 3 state and multiple back stacks

Check out the Navigation 3 guide to Save and manage navigation state for details.

Step 6.4. Preserve media playback state (ExoPlayer / Media3)

When an MediaPlayer (such as ExoPlayer) is created inside a composable with remember, it is released on disposal and recreated from scratch on configuration change, resetting playback to 0:00 and auto-playing even if the user had paused the video.

To preserve ExoPlayer playback state (currentPosition and playWhenReady):

1. Store savedPositionMs (mutableLongStateOf(0L)) and savedPlayWhenReady (mutableStateOf(true)) using rememberSaveable(videoResId).

2. Keep saved state updated during playback --- do not only save in onDispose : update savedPlayWhenReady and savedPositionMs in a Player.Listener (onPlayWhenReadyChanged, onPositionDiscontinuity) and periodically inside a LaunchedEffect(player) loop while active.

3. Initialize the player with the restored state : Set playWhenReady = savedPlayWhenReady and call seekTo(savedPositionMs) before prepare().

4. Guard LifecycleStartEffect so it does not auto-play a paused video or overwrite savedPlayWhenReady :

   • In LifecycleStartEffect(player), only call player.play() when savedPlayWhenReady is true (otherwise a paused video will start playing again after restoration).

   • In onStopOrDispose, capture val wasPlaying = player.playWhenReady and savedPositionMs = player.currentPosition before calling player.pause(), then restore savedPlayWhenReady = wasPlaying so that player.pause() on stop/dispose does not overwrite savedPlayWhenReady to false:

@UnstableApi
@Composable
private fun rememberExoPlayer(@RawRes videoResId: Int, fromUri: Unit.(Uri) -> MediaItem): ExoPlayer {
    val context = LocalContext.current
    var savedPositionMs by rememberSaveable(videoResId) { mutableLongStateOf(0L) }
    var savedPlayWhenReady by rememberSaveable(videoResId) { mutableStateOf(true) }

    val player = remember(videoResId) {
        ExoPlayer.Builder(context.applicationContext).build().apply {
            setMediaItem(MediaItem.fromUri(RawResourceDataSource.buildRawResourceUri(videoResId)))
            repeatMode = Player.REPEAT_MODE_ONE
            playWhenReady = savedPlayWhenReady
            seekTo(savedPositionMs)
            prepare()
        }
    }

    DisposableEffect(player) {
        val listener = object : Player.Listener {
            override fun onPlayWhenReadyChanged(playWhenReady: Boolean, reason: Int) {
                savedPlayWhenReady = playWhenReady
                savedPositionMs = player.currentPosition
            }
            override fun onPositionDiscontinuity(
                oldPosition: Player.PositionInfo,
                newPosition: Player.PositionInfo,
                reason: Int
            ) {
                savedPositionMs = newPosition.positionMs
            }
        }
        player.addListener(listener)
        onDispose {
            player.removeListener(listener)
            player.release()
        }
    }

    LaunchedEffect(player) {
        while (isActive) {
            savedPositionMs = player.currentPosition
            delay(200)
        }
    }

    LifecycleStartEffect(player) {
        if (savedPlayWhenReady) {
            player.play()
        }
        onStopOrDispose {
            val wasPlaying = player.playWhenReady
            savedPositionMs = player.currentPosition
            player.pause()
            savedPlayWhenReady = wasPlaying
        }
    }

    return player
}

<br />

Step 7: Add desktop experiences

Step 7.1: Identify the required desktop feature

Look at the user's prompt, requirements, or uploaded files to determine which desktop feature needs to be implemented.

Step 7.2: Run feature-specific processing

Based on the feature identified, you must read the corresponding reference file and follow its instructions:

• Keyboard Shortcuts -> read references/keyboard_shortcuts.md

• Tooltips -> read references/tooltips.md

• Custom Cursors -> read references/custom_cursors.md

Each reference starts by searching the whole app for the targets of that feature. Write that list down first, implement all of it (not only the first screen you open), and re-check the list before you finish.

Step 8. Support foldable devices

Tabletop mode allows users to view and interact with content while their foldable device is placed on a flat surface. The top screen is angled at a convenient viewing angle and provides visual content. The bottom screen is flat on the surface and provides controls for that content.

To support foldable devices, identify any screens that provide the following:

• Media and audio playback or streaming: The video or audio content renders on the upright top display. Comments, details, and playback scrubber controls render on the flat bottom surface.

• Video calls: Remote participants display on the upright screen. Microphone and camera toggles, participant lists, and chat controls sit on the flat bottom surface.

• Camera capture: The camera viewfinder displays on the upright screen. The shutter button, zoom controls, and exposure sliders sit on the flat bottom surface for hands-free photography.

• Photo editing: The image canvas displays unobstructed on the upright screen. Sliders, preset palettes, and curves remain accessible on the flat bottom surface.

• Audio mixing: Waveforms and stem controls display on the upright screen. Turntable decks and pads sit on the flat bottom surface.

• Cooking: Viewing recipe instructions hands-free on the upright screen while keeping timers or step navigation on the bottom screen.

• Slide shows: Viewing presentation slides on the top screen with presenter notes or navigation on the bottom screen.

To create layouts for foldables on these screens, you must read tabletop posture.

Final step: Build and test

Build the app and run the local tests. If the project has screenshot tests, run them but DO NOT update the reference images. Prompt the user to do this after they have viewed the screenshot diffs.

Additional documentation for experimental adaptive APIs

The following APIs are available from Compose 1.11.0.

FlexBox

Check the FlexBox documentation:

• Overview

• Get started - setup

• Set container behavior

• Set item behavior

MediaQuery

Check the MediaQuery documentation when you need to query the device's screen size, pointer precision, keyboard type, whether it has cameras or microphones, and other device capabilities.

Grid

Check the Grid documentation when you need to display a fixed number of items in a grid layout:

• Overview

• Get started - setup

• Set container properties

• Set item properties