"How do we make our E2E tests fast and stable?" I've answered this question after every UI testing talk I've ever given, and my response always surprises people.

Thank you to everyone who attended my talk at @droidcon.it about tools and frameworks for E2E and UI tests with fake data, including: • Android Journey • Maestro • Espresso • Compose UI Test • Kaspresso Slides from my talk: speakerdeck.com/alexzhukovi... #DroidconIt #AndroidDev

1/3 Foldable devices always use the medium window size class. I believed this too. Then I opened my app on a Pixel 9 Pro Fold and was surprised that the "foldable" layout was skipped, and the "tablet" layout appeared on the screen. #AndroidDev #KMP #MaterialDesign

Did you know that the OutputTransformation API lets you format text fields in Jetpack Compose in real time? Here's how to improve entering a card number. You can also use it for phone numbers, dates, postcodes, and more. Do you already use OutputTransformation in your project?

“We don’t have time for visual testing.” That’s what many Android developers say. Many developers think that creating visual tests is hard, as they require separate test cases, learning new frameworks and approaches, and dealing with flaky CI pipelines.

I’ll be speaking at @droidcon.it in Turin about Android UI testing. Here’s what I’ll cover: • Getting started with natural language UI tests • A technical comparison between Journeys, Espresso, UiAutomator, and Compose UI Test Spoiler: There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

The ButtonGroup component from Material 3 Expressive replaces the SegmentedButtons component. It supports more shapes and includes overflow buttons for additional components that can't fit on the screen. #JetpackCompose

Compose Multiplatform 1.9.0 is here! It now supports parameters for preview functions, including: • name • group • locale • widthDp • heightDp • showBackground • backgroundColor More details: github.com/JetBrains/c...

Building global software isn't just about translation - it's about understanding cultural context. Here are 3 critical locale pitfalls to solve before shipping globally: 1. Currency formatting 2. Date interpretation 3. Number separators Details 🔽

Thanks for joining my @droidconLisbon talk on visual testing for adaptive layouts! Here are the slides: speakerdeck.com/alexzhukovi...

Need to build list and detail screens in your Jetpack Compose project that adapt to different device types? Check out the ListDetailPaneScaffold component from the Material3 adaptive-layout dependency.

Did you know you can control the tooltip's position relative to its anchor starting from "material3:1.5.0-alpha01"? Tooltips support the following positions: • Above • Below • Start • End

Here is one more reason why you need visual tests which will verify your components and screens against system configuration options, like font scale. Remember: Not everyone uses the default font size.

Did you know that Material 3 Expressive introduces many additional shapes that you can use in Jetpack Compose?

Want to see how your UI adapts to different wallpapers? You can preview dynamic colors directly in Android Studio using the "wallpaper" parameter for preview annotation. Does your app support dynamic colors?

Compose Multiplatform 1.8.2 is now available. With this update, you can use preview parameters for Compose Multiplatform previews. ⚠️ Currently, the multiple previews are rendered in IntelliJ IDEA 2025.1.2 (stable version) and not rendered in Android Studio.

Are you looking for a simple way to give access to important actions and keep the UI clean? Then, try HorizontalFloatingToolbar. It was recently released as part of Material 3 Expressive components. ⚠️ Currently in alpha #AndroidDev #MaterialDesign #JetpackCompose

Recently, Apple changed its design system, and Google introduced Material Design 3 Expressive components to expand its existing design system. Both of these situations lead to a redesign of your application. To ensure your UI looks as expected after the redesign, use visual tests.

In Android Studio Narwhal, you can visually configure a preview for composable functions by clicking the gear icon next to your preview function.

Ensure that your composable function is accessible. Do you have a preview for your UI? Then, verify it by selecting "Start UI Check Mode" for your preview in Android Studio. This feature works for Compose Multiplatform code, too. (tested it in Android Studio Narwhal).

Did you know you can activate TalkBack to verify your application on an Android emulator using the "Device UI shortcut" menu in Android Studio?

Starting with Jetpack Compose 1.8.0, you have access to additional text overflow options. Here are the available options: • Ellipsis • StartEllipsis • MiddleEllipsis

Recently, Jetpack Compose 1.8.0 was released and it allows to adjust the text size to the size of the container. Jetpack Compose 1.8.0 is available as part of the BOM: 2025.04.01 implementation(platform("androidx.compose:compose-bom:2025.04.01"))

Did you know you can change the color mode and font size from the "Running Devices" panel in Android Studio without accessing the settings? By using the "Device UI Shortcuts" feature, you can adjust: • Color mode • Navigation mode (gesture, buttons) • Font size • Display size

I've just completed the "Visual Testing Tools and Services" section of my book on visual testing for Android projects. I'd love to hear from developers and QA engineers: What screenshot testing tools do you use alongside screenshot testing frameworks?

Android Studio Narwhal now includes a "Generate Preview" with Gemini. My thoughts after playing with it: • It generates fake data for previews • It struggles with custom types • It needs modification, but it speeds up the process In the future, it might be a helpful tool for adding visual tests.

Starting from Android Studio Narwhal, you can use the preview for common composable functions in Kotlin Multiplatform.

Translation ≠ Localization. Here are 5 key factors to properly localize your app: 1. Never hardcode strings 2. Handle both RTL and LTR layouts 3. Use local number, date, and time formats 4. Design layouts that adapt to text length 5. Consider cultural meaning of colors and icons

That's great news

Code Review Tip: When building UI-related features, include screenshots and/or a short demo video to your PR. This dramatically simplifies the review process as visual context helps catch design inconsistencies that might be missed in a code-only review.

Starting from version 1.4.0-alpha10 of Compose Material3, the TabRow is deprecated. Instead, you need to use PrimaryTabRow or SecondaryTabRow components.

Visual issues can damage trust in your brand and ruin your app rating. My new article explores how visual tests can detect pixel-perfect issues in your Android application: alexzh.com/why-visual-... Learn how to catch visual bugs before release, like those shown in this image.

Did you know you can control how many cells an item will use in the LazyVerticalGrid in Jetpack Compose? The "span" parameter is here to help. You can use it with "item" and "items" functions.

Jetpack Compose has multiple preview functions that can speed up your development process: • PreviewLightDark • PreviewFontScales • PreviewScreenSizes • PreviewDynamicColors

Did you know you can use "NavigationSuiteScaffold" to simplify switching between navigation UIs for different window sizes in Jetpack Compose?

1/4 Stop writing endless screenshot tests. Android developers waste hours writing almost identical screenshot tests. Here’s a tip to write less code without compromising coverage: • Replace multiple test cases with parameterized tests • Configure valid input parameters for every test

1/4 Want to save time on polishing the UI layer in Compose Multiplatform projects? Start by improving the application’s theme. This will help to build the UI layer quicker. Additionally, the theme can be used in a design system for various platforms.

Starting from version "1.4.0-alpha08" the "Material 3" library introduces the "TimePickerDialog" component in Jetpack Compose. #AndroidDev #JetpackCompose

Thank you @androidweekly.bsky.social for featuring my article: A Visual Guide to TopAppBar Variants in Jetpack Compose. alexzh.com/visual-guide...

Did you know Jetpack Compose offers 7 variations of TopAppBar? Discover their differences and choose the best one for your needs. alexzh.com/visual-guid... #JetpackCompose

1/4 Tired of checking multiple screens with different color themes after updating custom UI component or a component from design system? It's time to introduce visual testing to your project and stop wasting time on manual verification.

If you're using IntelliJ IDEA 2025.1 EAP, you can now render previews for common code. Now we can render previews of composable multiplatform code in both IntelliJ IDEA and Fleet IDEs.

Last year, I began writing my book and learned a valuable lesson that impacted my progress: Never compare your initial draft to the polished final version of another book. Sounds obvious, right? Yet, it's easy to overlook. Here's my full story: alexzh.com/overcoming-...

Starting from version "1.4.0-alpha07" the "Material 3" library introduces the "TwoRowsTopAppBar" component in Jetpack Compose. #AndroidDev #JetpackCompose

Have you ever shipped an app with a broken UI? Nowadays, it happens more than you think and it's not just about aesthetics. Visual bugs can destroy trust in your brand, and as a result, the user may prefer your competitor’s product. But there’s a solution: visual testing.

Need to style text in Jetpack Compose? The AnnotatedString is a simple option, but it often involves a lot of boilerplate code. You can use the AnnotatedString.fromHtml function to avoid manual text styling. The string can be stored in resources or in a separate file. #JetpackCompose

Starting from version "1.4.0-alpha06" of the "Material 3" library introduces the VerticalSlider in Jetpack Compose! Want to flip the slider's direction? Use the "reverseDirection" parameter. #AndroidDev #JetpackCompose

Did you know that the "fillMaxWidth," "fillMaxHeight," and "fillMaxSize" modifiers have a "fraction" parameter? #JetpackCompose

At the end of each week, I reflect on the past week and plan for the next. Here are my 3 takeaways from 2024: • Goals won't work unless you revisit them regularly. • Regularly consider what to automate. • Too many goals? Focus on the most important ones and postpone the others.

In Jetpack Compose's "Material 3" library starting from version "1.4.0-alpha01", the "SegmentedButton" has a new "contentPadding" parameter. #JetpackCompose