Compose Multiplatform looks promising 🚀 – ██FR█████ █INTELL███████████

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by boryanz

Jetpack Compose Multiplatform in 2025

Jetpack Compose Multiplatform is transforming how we think about cross-platform development, and it’s finally ready for production use. I played around a bit, and found out it’s really easy for setting the project. I also found some interesting statistics about CMP

Why Compose Multiplatform is Taking Over

Built by JetBrains and leveraging Google’s Jetpack Compose foundation, it allows you to share up to 80% of your codebase across Android, iOS, desktop, and the declarative UI paradigm you already understand.

60% of the top 1,000 apps in the Play Store already use Jetpack Compose, and with Compose for iOS moving toward production readiness, major companies are making the switch.
The timing couldn’t be better for intermediate Android developers to expand their skill set.

What Makes It Different from Other Cross-Platform Solutions

Unlike React Native or Flutter, Compose Multiplatform doesn’t ask you to learn a new mental model. If you’ve written this in Android:

@Composable
fun UserProfile(user: User) {
    Card(
        modifier = Modifier
            .fillMaxWidth()
            .padding(16.dp)
    ) {
        Column(
            modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp)
        ) {
            Text(
                text = user.name,
                style = MaterialTheme.typography.headlineSmall
            )
            Text(
                text = user.email,
                style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium,
                color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant
            )
        }
    }
}

That same code works across all platforms in Compose Multiplatform. No platform-specific adaptations, no different API patterns—just the same @Composable functions, state management, and UI patterns you already know.

Setting Up Your First Multiplatform Project

The easiest way to get started is using the Kotlin Multiplatform wizard or the official template:

// shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/App.kt
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.*
import androidx.compose.material3.*
import androidx.compose.runtime.*
import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp

@Composable
fun App() {
    MaterialTheme {
        var count by remember { mutableIntStateOf(0) }

        Column(
            modifier = Modifier
                .fillMaxSize()
                .padding(16.dp),
            horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally,
            verticalArrangement = Arrangement.Center
        ) {
            Text("You clicked $count times")

            Spacer(modifier = Modifier.height(16.dp))

            Button(onClick = { count++ }) {
                Text("Click me!")
            }
        }
    }
}

This single file creates a working app for all supported platforms. The project structure follows Kotlin Multiplatform conventions:

project/
├── shared/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── commonMain/kotlin/    # Shared UI and logic
│   │   ├── androidMain/kotlin/   # Android-specific code
│   │   └── iosMain/kotlin/       # iOS-specific code
├── androidApp/                   # Android application
├── iosApp/                       # iOS application (Xcode project)
└── desktopApp/                   # Desktop application

Handling Platform-Specific Requirements

Real-world apps need platform-specific functionality. Compose Multiplatform handles this elegantly through expect/actual declarations:

// commonMain
expect class PlatformContext

expect fun showToast(context: PlatformContext, message: String)

@Composable
expect fun StatusBarColor(color: Color)

// androidMain
import android.content.Context
import android.widget.Toast

actual typealias PlatformContext = Context

actual fun showToast(context: PlatformContext, message: String) {
    Toast.makeText(context, message, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show()
}

@Composable
actual fun StatusBarColor(color: Color) {
    val systemUiController = rememberSystemUiController()
    LaunchedEffect(color) {
        systemUiController.setStatusBarColor(color)
    }
}

// iosMain
import platform.UIKit.UIApplication

actual class PlatformContext

actual fun showToast(context: PlatformContext, message: String) {
    // iOS implementation using native alerts or third-party library
}

@Composable
actual fun StatusBarColor(color: Color) {
    // iOS status bar color implementation
}

Advanced Patterns: Navigation and State Management

For complex apps, you’ll want proper navigation and state management. Compose Multiplatform works seamlessly with popular libraries:

// Using Voyager for navigation
sealed class Screen {
    object Home : Screen()
    data class Details(val itemId: String) : Screen()
}

@Composable
fun AppNavigation() {
    Navigator(HomeScreen()) { navigator ->
        SlideTransition(navigator) { screen ->
            when (screen) {
                is Screen.Home -> HomeScreen(
                    onNavigateToDetails = { itemId ->
                        navigator.push(Screen.Details(itemId))
                    }
                )
                is Screen.Details -> DetailsScreen(
                    itemId = screen.itemId,
                    onBack = { navigator.pop() }
                )
            }
        }
    }
}

For state management, you can use familiar patterns like ViewModels with shared business logic:

// shared/src/commonMain/kotlin/presentation/UserViewModel.kt
class UserViewModel : ViewModel() {
    private val _users = MutableStateFlow<List<User>>(emptyList())
    val users = _users.asStateFlow()

    private val _isLoading = MutableStateFlow(false)
    val isLoading = _isLoading.asStateFlow()

    fun loadUsers() {
        viewModelScope.launch {
            _isLoading.value = true
            try {
                _users.value = userRepository.getUsers()
            } catch (e: Exception) {
                // Handle error
            } finally {
                _isLoading.value = false
            }
        }
    }
}

Performance Considerations and Best Practices

Compose Multiplatform uses Skia for rendering, which provides excellent performance across platforms. However, there are some best practices to follow:

1. Optimize Recomposition

@Composable
fun UserList(users: List<User>) {
    LazyColumn {
        items(
            items = users,
            key = { user -> user.id } // Important for performance
        ) { user ->
            UserItem(
                user = user,
                modifier = Modifier.animateItemPlacement()
            )
        }
    }
}

2. Use Derivations for Complex State

@Composable
fun SearchableUserList(users: List<User>) {
    var searchQuery by remember { mutableStateOf("") }

    val filteredUsers by remember {
        derivedStateOf {
            if (searchQuery.isBlank()) {
                users
            } else {
                users.filter { it.name.contains(searchQuery, ignoreCase = true) }
            }
        }
    }

    // UI implementation
}

3. Handle Large Lists Efficiently

@Composable
fun LazyUserGrid(users: List<User>) {
    LazyVerticalGrid(
        columns = GridCells.Adaptive(minSize = 150.dp),
        contentPadding = PaddingValues(16.dp),
        verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp),
        horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp)
    ) {
        items(users) { user ->
            UserCard(user = user)
        }
    }
}

Benefits

From a practical standpoint, Compose Multiplatform delivers compelling benefits:

Reduced Development Time: Share 80%+ of your UI code across platforms
Consistent User Experience: Same animations, interactions, and visual design
Leverage Existing Skills: No need to learn new languages or paradigms
Easier Maintenance: One codebase to update, test, and debug
Native Performance: Built on native rendering engines, not web views

The ecosystem is mature enough for production use. Start small.

The learning curve is gentle if you already know Jetpack Compose, and the productivity gains are substantial once you’re comfortable with the multiplatform patterns.

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by boryanz