Jetpack Compose Performance: Tips and Tricks with Strong Skipping Mode

Overview

Jetpack Compose simplifies Android UI development, but excessive recompositions can slow your app. Strong Skipping Mode is a compiler optimization that skips unnecessary recompositions for composables with unstable parameters, boosting performance. This guide shares tips to enable it, its benefits, and a beginner-friendly example.

Key Features Table

Feature	Description
Skips Unstable Parameters	Prevents recomposition if unstable inputs are unchanged.
Auto-Remembers Lambdas	Avoids recompositions by remembering lambdas with unstable captures.

Enabling Strong Skipping Mode

Add this line to your gradle.properties file to enable the feature:


androidx.compose.compiler.enableStrongSkipping=true

Steps to Enable:

Open your project’s gradle.properties file (in the project root).
Add the line above.
Sync your project with Gradle: ./gradlew build in your terminal.

Result: Your app skips recompositions for unchanged inputs, improving speed.

Benefits

⚡ Faster UI: Fewer recompositions for smoother animations.
📝 Simpler Code: No manual optimization of unstable parameters.
🚀 Better Performance: Ideal for dynamic or complex screens.

Beginner-Friendly Example

This example shows a clickable text counter. Without Strong Skipping Mode, it may recompose unnecessarily. With it enabled, recompositions are skipped for unchanged inputs, boosting performance.


import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableStateOf
import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier

data class UnstableData(val id: Int)

@Composable
fun CounterExample(data: UnstableData, onClick: () -> Unit) {
    val count = remember { mutableStateOf(0) }
    Text(
        text = "ID: ${data.id}, Count: ${count.value}",
        modifier = Modifier.clickable {
            count.value++
            onClick()
        }
    )
}

How to Use:

Create a file named CounterExample.kt in your ui package.
Copy the code above into the file.

Add it to your app’s UI, e.g., in MainActivity.kt:


@Composable
fun App() {
    CounterExample(UnstableData(1)) { println("Clicked!") }
}

Sync your project: ./gradlew build
Run the app: ./gradlew installDebug

Result: The composable skips recomposition if UnstableData and onClick are unchanged, making your app faster.

FAQ

What is Strong Skipping Mode?

A feature to skip recompositions for unchanged unstable inputs.

How does it improve performance?

Reduces recompositions, speeding up UI and animations.

How do I enable it?

Add androidx.compose.compiler.enableStrongSkipping=true to gradle.properties and sync.

Boosting Jetpack Compose Performance with Strong Skipping Mode