Compose Motion - Sub-skill
Jetpack Compose animation core. Loaded for Android Compose and Compose Multiplatform projects.
Concise rules here. Deep-dive in
.
Baseline: current stable Jetpack Compose (1.7+). Modern stable APIs only - no
, no
hacks where
is correct.
API Decision Tree
| Need | API |
|---|
| Single value over time | , , , etc. |
| Visibility / mount-unmount | AnimatedVisibility(visible) { ... }
|
| Crossfade between states | Crossfade(target) { state -> ... }
|
| Multi-state coordinated | updateTransition(target).animateFloat { ... }
|
| Manual control / interruption | + |
| Looping / infinite | rememberInfiniteTransition().animateFloat(...)
|
| Shared elements | + Modifier.sharedElement(...)
(Compose 1.7+) |
| Layout swap with anim | AnimatedContent(target) { ... }
|
| Drag / swipe | + /, or Modifier.anchoredDraggable
for snap-points |
Rule: climb the ladder only when needed.
covers 70% of cases. Reach for
only when you need to interrupt, chain, or read velocity.
Spring API (opinionated defaults)
| Use | Spec |
|---|
| UI snap (modal, drawer, tab) | spring(stiffness = Spring.StiffnessMediumLow, dampingRatio = Spring.DampingRatioNoBouncy)
|
| Tactile (button press release, toggle) | spring(stiffness = Spring.StiffnessMedium, dampingRatio = 0.85f)
|
| Bouncy reveal (toast, FAB, success) | spring(stiffness = Spring.StiffnessLow, dampingRatio = Spring.DampingRatioMediumBouncy)
|
| Drag follow (1:1 finger tracking) | spring(stiffness = Spring.StiffnessHigh, dampingRatio = 1f)
|
Stiffness constants:
200,
400,
700,
1500,
10000. Higher = faster settle. Damping constants:
0.2,
0.5,
0.75,
1.0. Below 1.0 overshoots. Springs ignore
; if you need a deterministic duration, use
instead.
- The Bread and Butter
kotlin
val targetAlpha = if (visible) 1f else 0f
val alpha by animateFloatAsState(
targetValue = targetAlpha,
animationSpec = spring(stiffness = Spring.StiffnessMedium),
label = "alpha",
)
Box(modifier = Modifier.alpha(alpha))
The
shows up in Layout Inspector / Animation Preview - always set it, future-you will thank present-you. Variants ship for
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, and a generic
for custom types via
.
- Mount / Unmount with Anim
kotlin
AnimatedVisibility(
visible = expanded,
enter = slideInVertically(initialOffsetY = { -it }) + fadeIn(),
exit = slideOutVertically(targetOffsetY = { -it }) + fadeOut(animationSpec = tween(150)),
) {
Panel()
}
Combine multiple enter/exit transitions with
. Respect motion-principles: exit shorter and simpler than enter (here 150ms tween fade vs full slide+fade enter). The content composable only runs while visible OR animating - safe to mount expensive children inside.
- State-Driven Layout Swap
kotlin
AnimatedContent(
targetState = currentTab,
transitionSpec = {
(slideInHorizontally { it } + fadeIn()) togetherWith
(slideOutHorizontally { -it } + fadeOut())
},
label = "tabs",
) { tab ->
TabContent(tab)
}
runs enter and exit in parallel;
using SizeTransform(clip = false)
controls how the container resizes between contents. Keys matter: if
doesn't change identity, no transition fires.
- Simple Fade Between States
kotlin
Crossfade(targetState = isLoading, label = "loadState") { loading ->
if (loading) Spinner() else Content()
}
Use when you only need a fade. For anything richer (slide, scale, layout-aware), reach for
.
does NOT animate size - the container takes the size of the new content immediately.
- Multi-Property Coordinated
kotlin
val transition = updateTransition(targetState = expanded, label = "expand")
val width by transition.animateDp(label = "width") { if (it) 300.dp else 100.dp }
val color by transition.animateColor(label = "color") { if (it) Color.Blue else Color.Gray }
val corner by transition.animateDp(label = "corner") { if (it) 24.dp else 8.dp }
Box(
Modifier
.width(width)
.background(color, RoundedCornerShape(corner)),
)
Use when several properties animate together based on the same state. All children share the same transition timeline, so they finish in sync. Each
call accepts its own
lambda for per-property tuning.
- Manual Control
kotlin
val offsetX = remember { Animatable(0f) }
LaunchedEffect(triggerEvent) {
offsetX.animateTo(100f, spring())
offsetX.animateTo(0f, spring(dampingRatio = Spring.DampingRatioMediumBouncy))
}
Box(Modifier.offset { IntOffset(offsetX.value.roundToInt(), 0) })
Reach for
when you need to interrupt (
), chain (
returns when finished), read live velocity, or kick off decay (
). It is the imperative escape hatch for drag-then-fling, snap-back, and any flow
cannot express.
(Compose 1.7+) - Hero Animations
kotlin
SharedTransitionLayout {
AnimatedContent(targetState = currentScreen, label = "nav") { screen ->
when (screen) {
Screen.List -> ListScreen(
sharedTransitionScope = this@SharedTransitionLayout,
animatedVisibilityScope = this@AnimatedContent,
)
is Screen.Detail -> DetailScreen(
item = screen.item,
sharedTransitionScope = this@SharedTransitionLayout,
animatedVisibilityScope = this@AnimatedContent,
)
}
}
}
// Inside ListScreen, on the card image:
with(sharedTransitionScope) {
Image(
painter = painter,
contentDescription = null,
modifier = Modifier.sharedElement(
state = rememberSharedContentState(key = "hero-${item.id}"),
animatedVisibilityScope = animatedVisibilityScope,
),
)
}
Two scopes plumbed down:
(where
extension lives) and
(the visibility context that drives the transition).
rememberSharedContentState(key)
keys MUST match across screens or no animation fires. Deep-dive in
references/shared-transitions.md
.
- Looping
kotlin
val infinite = rememberInfiniteTransition(label = "loader")
val rotation by infinite.animateFloat(
initialValue = 0f,
targetValue = 360f,
animationSpec = infiniteRepeatable(
animation = tween(1000, easing = LinearEasing),
repeatMode = RepeatMode.Restart,
),
label = "rotation",
)
Icon(Icons.Default.Refresh, contentDescription = null, modifier = Modifier.rotate(rotation))
jumps back to start each cycle;
ping-pongs. Always provide a pause / off path for accessibility (see Reduced Motion section below). For one-shot decay (fling), use
instead.
Gestures (quick map)
| Need | Modifier |
|---|
| Tap | Modifier.clickable(onClick = ...)
|
| Tap + long-press | Modifier.combinedClickable(onClick = ..., onLongClick = ...)
|
| Drag (single axis) | Modifier.draggable(state, orientation)
|
| Multi-touch / custom | Modifier.pointerInput { detectDragGestures { ... } }
|
| Scroll offset reading | or |
| Swipe-to-dismiss / snap points | Modifier.anchoredDraggable(state)
(Compose 1.6+, replaces ) |
| Pinch + pan + rotate | Modifier.transformable(state)
|
Deep-dive in
references/gestures-compose.md
(NestedScrollConnection, conflict resolution, fling decay).
Anti-Patterns (BAD / GOOD)
1. Animating layout size instead of transform
kotlin
// BAD - animateDpAsState on width forces a layout pass every frame
val w by animateDpAsState(if (expanded) 300.dp else 100.dp)
Box(Modifier.width(w).height(60.dp))
kotlin
// GOOD - animate scale via graphicsLayer (composite-only, no layout)
val scale by animateFloatAsState(if (expanded) 3f else 1f, label = "scale")
Box(
Modifier
.width(100.dp)
.height(60.dp)
.graphicsLayer {
scaleX = scale
transformOrigin = TransformOrigin(0f, 0.5f)
},
)
If the actual layout size MUST change (parent depends on it), use
Modifier.animateContentSize()
so neighbors animate too, or wrap the swap in
.
2. / with hidden inputs
kotlin
// BAD - re-runs only once, BUT also fires on every recomposition surprise
// when callers swap the composable instance. Worse: anything captured
// in the lambda is stale.
LaunchedEffect(true) {
offsetX.animateTo(target)
}
kotlin
// GOOD - explicit key tied to the trigger
LaunchedEffect(triggerKey) {
offsetX.animateTo(target)
}
If you genuinely want "run once", use
on purpose AND ensure you don't capture varying state - or hoist the captured values out. When in doubt, key on the values you read.
3. Forgetting in a with item animations
kotlin
// BAD - on insert/delete/reorder, items animate to wrong slots
LazyColumn {
items(list) { item ->
AnimatedVisibility(visible = item.expanded) { ItemRow(item) }
}
}
kotlin
// GOOD - stable key by id, plus Modifier.animateItem for reorder anim
LazyColumn {
items(list, key = { it.id }) { item ->
Row(modifier = Modifier.animateItem()) {
AnimatedVisibility(visible = item.expanded) { ItemRow(item) }
}
}
}
(Compose 1.7+, replaces
) handles insert/remove/move automatically when
is stable.
4. Nesting inside scrolling list items
kotlin
// BAD - every item runs its own transition graph; scroll = jank
LazyColumn {
items(list, key = { it.id }) { item ->
AnimatedContent(targetState = item.state) { state -> Row(state) }
}
}
kotlin
// GOOD - lift state, animate only the changing prop on the row
LazyColumn {
items(list, key = { it.id }) { item ->
val color by animateColorAsState(if (item.selected) selBg else bg, label = "rowBg")
Row(Modifier.background(color)) { Content(item) }
}
}
Rule: heavy animation containers (
,
) belong at screen scope, not per row.
Reduced Motion - Respect It
See
../motion-principles/SKILL.md
for the cross-platform doctrine.
kotlin
@Composable
fun rememberReduceMotion(): Boolean {
val context = LocalContext.current
return remember {
Settings.Global.getFloat(
context.contentResolver,
Settings.Global.ANIMATOR_DURATION_SCALE,
1f,
) == 0f
}
}
val reduce = rememberReduceMotion()
val alpha by animateFloatAsState(
targetValue = if (visible) 1f else 0f,
animationSpec = if (reduce) snap() else spring(),
label = "alpha",
)
reads the animator duration scale directly. The cleaner call is
ValueAnimator.areAnimatorsEnabled()
(API 26+), which returns
when that scale is 0 - set by the developer-options "Animation off" toggle, Battery Saver, and the user-facing "Remove animations" (Settings -> Accessibility) toggle alike. Deep-dive in
../mobile-principles/references/accessibility-mobile.md
.
Quick Reference
| Need | Load |
|---|
| Shared transitions deep-dive | references/shared-transitions.md
|
| Gestures + nestedScroll patterns | references/gestures-compose.md
|
| Recomposition / jank / Layout Inspector | references/recomposition-and-anim.md
|
| Advanced (M3 Expressive, AGSL, Canvas) | ../compose-graphics/SKILL.md
|
| CMP / KMP patterns | ../compose-multiplatform/SKILL.md
|
| Mobile UX context | ../mobile-principles/SKILL.md
|
| Foundation (timing, easing, a11y) | ../motion-principles/SKILL.md
|
Sources