Jetpack Compose Performance Optimization — Tips from Real Projects
✨ Introduction
Jetpack Compose has become the cornerstone of modern Android UI development. With its declarative nature, clean syntax, and tight integration with Kotlin, it enables developers to build rich and dynamic UIs faster than ever before. But as with any powerful tool, misuse can lead to performance issues — dropped frames, sluggish scrolling, and janky animations.
If you’ve ever wondered why your beautifully written Compose UI feels slow or why your app’s performance degrades on lower-end devices, this article is for you.
In this in-depth guide, we’ll walk through real-world performance tips that are actively used in production-level Android projects. These are not just theoretical best practices — they’re the result of profiling, stress testing, and hard-earned lessons in building fast, fluid interfaces with Jetpack Compose.
1. Keep Composables Small and Purposeful
Think of composables as functions in clean code: they should do one thing, and do it well.
Large, monolithic composables increase the chance of recompositions affecting more UI than necessary. Smaller, focused components make it easier to control recomposition scope and improve testability and reusability.
✅ DO:
@Composable
fun UserProfilePicture(url: String) {
AsyncImage(model = url, contentDescription = "User photo")
}❌ AVOID:
Mixing multiple pieces of logic (images, buttons, state, animations) into one massive composable.
2. Control Recomposition Like a Pro
Jetpack Compose is smart — it only re-renders parts of the UI that need to change. But when not used properly, unnecessary recompositions can degrade performance.
🔑 Key principles:
- Use remember to avoid recomputing values.
- Use derivedStateOf for derived computations.
- Avoid observing unnecessary state — each recomposition triggers everything downstream.
Example:
val filteredList by remember {
derivedStateOf { fullList.filter { it.isActive } }
}3. Prefer Immutable and Stable Data Classes
Compose tracks changes based on object identity and value stability. If you pass a non-stable object into a composable, it may trigger recompositions even when data hasn’t changed.
✅ Mark data classes as@Immutable or @Stable:
@Immutable
data class Product(val id: Int, val name: String, val price: Double)If your class can’t be fully immutable, consider separating mutable state from UI-bound properties.
4. Use LazyColumn the Right Way
LazyColumn is optimized for large datasets — but only when used correctly.
✅ Always provide a key:
items(products, key = { it.id }) { product ->
ProductItem(product)
}This helps Compose reuse existing UI nodes instead of rebuilding them.
❌ Don’t include expensive logic inside item blocks:
Avoid computing complex values, loading images, or managing internal state directly within items {}.
5. Optimize State Placement and Lifecycle
Misplaced state can cause components to recompose when they shouldn’t.
✅ Use proper state scopes:
- remember for in-composable temporary values.
- rememberSaveable for values that need to persist across configuration changes.
- ViewModel for shared or screen-level state.
val uiState by viewModel.uiState.collectAsState()Don’t keep screen state inside composables unless it’s temporary and local.
6. Don’t Overuse Modifiers
Compose modifiers are composable themselves — every chain adds complexity. Use them wisely.
❌ Redundant Modifiers:
Modifier
.padding(8.dp)
.background(Color.White)
.padding(8.dp)✅ Better:
Modifier
.background(Color.White)
.padding(16.dp)Also avoid deep nesting of Box or Column without need — flat layouts are usually faster.
7. Keep Animations Lightweight
Animations can be powerful, but they’re not free. Repeated or unoptimized animations can impact rendering performance.
✅ Use built-in efficient APIs:
- animateColorAsState
- animateDpAsState
- AnimatedVisibility
These are optimized by Compose and should be used instead of manually animating values inside recomposing blocks.
val backgroundColor by animateColorAsState(
targetValue = if (selected) Color.Green else Color.Gray
)❌ Avoid:
Triggering animations inside heavy recomposition logic or during scrolling.
8. Profile, Inspect, and Measure
Don’t optimize blindly — let tools guide you.
🔧 Recommended Tools:
- Layout Inspector (Android Studio)
- View recomposition count, composition chains, and state tracking.
- Compose Compiler Metrics
- Generate metrics to understand stability, skippability, and composable costs.
kotlinCompilerPluginArguments += [
"-P",
"plugin:androidx.compose.compiler.plugins.kotlin:metricsDestination=/build/composeMetrics"
]- System Tracing (Perfetto)
- Use system tracing tools to catch jank, measure frame durations, and identify main thread bottlenecks.
- Firebase Performance Monitoring
- Identify slow screens and high-latency render times in real user sessions.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Jetpack Compose is fast out of the box — but only if you follow its best practices. Don’t treat it like legacy Views. Learn its lifecycle, state system, and profiling tools.
To summarize:
- Keep composables clean and focused.
- Track and reduce unnecessary recompositions.
- Structure and manage state intentionally.
- Measure performance using the right tools.
These small optimizations can result in a big performance payoff, especially on mid- or low-end devices where every frame counts.
If you found this guide helpful, consider bookmarking it for future reference. Follow for more Compose deep dives, real-world architecture patterns, and practical Android dev tips.
