Android development made easier by Jetpack Compose 1.0 release

Android developers rejoice! Jetpack Compose 1.0 is finally here. It has been a long wait since being introduced in 2019, and finally releasing a Canary build earlier this year. But now it's finally available. This tool aims to help developers build apps much faster while also taking advantage of Android’s modern native UI.

This tool should be able to breathe new life into your favorite Android apps, but it isn’t only limited to Android smartphones. Other products also use Google’s various software, such as Chrome OS, Android TV, and even the new foldable smartphones.

One of the things that make it difficult for certain users to switch from iOS to Android is the fact that, despite being able to use the app across almost any Android device, even Chrome OS, the apps sometimes look and behave differently on each device.

In this area, Apple is slightly ahead of the game after the release of Swift UI in recent years. This is Apple’s coding language and makes it easier for iOS developers to create beautiful apps that work well across all the iOS platforms.

With the release of Jetpack Compose 1.0, Google is catching up and announced that already over 2000 apps in the Play Store are using Compose. They also offer to help developers transition over to using this tool above all other Android development tools.

However, having a great-looking app across all devices is not the only benefit of using this tool. Google has recently announced that the powerful layout API and robust code-driven UI will make it easy to support various form factors such as tablets, Android TV, and foldable smartphones. They also announced that Compose support is en-route for WearOS, Homescreen widgets, and more. This will mean the addition of more Material You components and large screen improvements.

This also explains Samsung’s latest announcement of working with Google to enhance the foldable eco-system with more popular apps and services. It can be challenging to develop apps for foldable phones as they need to scale to the different phone sizes. And with Samsung trying to bring these foldable phones to the mainstream, a tool like Compose that allows more compatibility is a definite benefit.

Closing Words

With the release of Android 12 looming, it's the perfect time for this tool. Now app developers can enjoy a much easier development process with Jetpack Compose and Kotlin. We look forward to seeing some great-looking Android apps in the future.

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