Kotlin Multiplatform 1.8.0 stabilizes Compose for iOS, marking a milestone in cross-platform development. With this update, Kotlin Multiplatform becomes a complete solution for mobile development, enabling flexible code sharing across both business logic and UI without compromising app quality or losing control over platform-specific capabilities. By Ekaterina Petrova.
Key highlights include:
- UI parity with Jetpack Compose, deep navigation linking, and accessibility support (VoiceOver, assistive tools).
- Performance optimizations ensuring rapid startup, smooth scrolling, and minimal app size (~9MB extra vs native SwiftUI).
- Ecosystem growth, with expanding libraries for architecture, DI, image loading, etc. (klibs.io).
- Tooling improvements like Compose Hot Reload for instant UI iterations and upcoming IDE plugins.
- Native feel via system-integrated scrolling, text editing, drag-and-drop, and adaptive UIs.
Successful adoption is evidenced by apps like Respawn (96% code reuse with Android) and high-performance benchmarks. Web support continues to evolve, promising polished experiences soon. Teams can now build production-ready iOS apps using Compose Multiplatform without compromising on platform-specific features. Start leveraging this robust framework today!
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