Android app building, explained
Straight answers to the questions that come up when you build an Android app: why the build broke, which library to pick, how to make it look right and how to get it to users. No fluff, real code, current for 2026.
Gradle · 9 min read
Gradle Version Catalogs in Android: A Complete Guide
How libs.versions.toml works in Android, from accessors and bundles to convention plugins and migrating off buildSrc.
Gradle · 10 min read
How to Fix Common Android Gradle Build Errors
The Android Gradle build errors you will actually hit, what each one means and the exact fix.
Compose · Architecture · 9 min read
Jetpack Compose vs XML: Which to Use for a New App
When to choose Compose or XML views, how the two interoperate, what performance really looks like, and a migration order that does not stall.
Compose · Design · 8 min read
Material 3 Theming in Jetpack Compose: Complete Guide
Build a complete Material 3 theme in Compose: color schemes and roles, dynamic color, dark theme, typography, shapes and your own design tokens.
Architecture · 11 min read
Android App Architecture: A Practical Modern Guide
How to structure a modern Android app with Compose: UI state, ViewModels, StateFlow, repositories, when a domain layer helps, and modularization basics.
Libraries · 11 min read
Essential Android Libraries for a New App
Which Android libraries a new Compose app actually needs, when to pick each one, and minimal, current setup code for Room, Retrofit, Hilt, Navigation 3 and more.
Performance · Gradle · 9 min read
How to Reduce Android App Size (APK and AAB)
A practical, measured order of attack for shrinking an Android app: R8, App Bundles, images, languages, native libraries and dependencies.
Libraries · Architecture · 8 min read
Room vs DataStore vs SharedPreferences on Android
Pick the right local storage for each kind of data, with working DataStore and Room code and a safe migration off SharedPreferences.
Compose · Design · 9 min read
Edge-to-Edge on Android 15+: Insets in Compose and Views
What Android 15 and 16 changed, how to handle system bar, cutout and keyboard insets in Compose and Views, and fixes for the bugs everyone hits.
Publishing · Gradle · 8 min read
Android App Signing: Keystores, Upload Keys and Play Signing
How Android signing keys work, how Play App Signing splits upload and signing keys, Gradle signing config done safely, and what to do if a key is lost.