Kotlin Multiplatform: Android, iOS, Desktop & Web - One Codebase

October 15, 2025

Compose Multiplatform 1.7.0: Building Beautiful UIs Everywhere

The Compose Multiplatform 1.7.0 release brought type-safe navigation, iOS performance improvements, and desktop drag-and-drop support.

Type-Safe Navigation

One of the biggest pain points in mobile development has been navigation with stringly-typed routes. Compose Multiplatform 1.7.0 introduces compile-time safety in navigation graphs with a type-safe approach to passing objects along navigation routes.

No more runtime crashes from typos in route strings. No more manual serialization. The compiler now catches navigation errors before your code even runs.

// Old way - error-prone
navController.navigate("profile/\${userId}")

// New way - type-safe
navController.navigate(ProfileRoute(userId = user.id))

iOS Performance Boost

When paired with Kotlin 2.0.20, Compose Multiplatform 1.7.0 delivers significant performance improvements on iOS:

  • LazyGrid benchmark performs ~9% faster on average
  • Significantly reduced number of missed frames
  • Experimental concurrent marking in garbage collector shortens GC pauses
  • Smoother scrolling and animations across the board

These improvements mean your Compose Multiplatform apps now match or exceed native iOS performance in most scenarios.

Desktop Drag and Drop

Desktop applications get first-class support for drag-and-drop operations with new dragAndDropSource and dragAndDropTarget modifiers.

Building file managers, design tools, or any app that needs drag-and-drop just became much easier on desktop platforms.

Shared Element Transitions

Support for seamless transitions between composables with shared elements creates smooth, polished user experiences. An image in a list can smoothly animate to full-screen when tapped, maintaining visual continuity across your app.

This feature works across all platforms – Android, iOS, Desktop, and Web – from a single codebase.

Migration to K2 Compiler

The Compose Multiplatform codebase has fully migrated to the K2 compiler. This means:

  • Faster compilation times
  • Better IDE performance
  • More accurate error messages
  • Foundation for future language features

Note: Native and web klibs now require Kotlin 2.1.0 or newer, so plan your migrations accordingly.

Material3 Independence

Material3 versioning was decoupled from the main Compose Multiplatform release. This means you can update Material3 independently and always use the latest stable Material Design components without waiting for a full platform update.

What This Means for Your Projects

At Prospat, we're already upgrading client projects to Compose Multiplatform 1.7.0. The performance improvements alone justify the upgrade, but the type-safe navigation is a game-changer for code maintainability.

If you're still using separate UI frameworks for each platform, now is the time to reconsider. Compose Multiplatform has matured to the point where you can build production-quality UIs for all platforms from a single codebase.

Ready to Build?

Want to leverage these new Compose Multiplatform features in your next app? Get in touch and let's discuss how we can help.

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