Kotlin Multiplatform Newsletter #20
We celebrate the arrival of official Kotlin support for Visual Studio Code (Alpha) and open up the 10th annual JetBrains Developer Ecosystem Survey. We dive deep into practical multiplatform mechanics, including a step-by-step roadmap for publishing your KMP library to Maven Central, integrating a robust WebView across Android, iOS, and Desktop, and migrating past the deprecated PredictiveBackHandler in Compose Multiplatform 1.10.x. Plus, we explore KMPify for automated project migrations and highlight a senior KMP opening at Yazio.
The Log
The only Kotlin Multiplatform and Compose Multiplatform news you actually need to know.
The Kotlin Foundation team responsible for evaluating the submissions was genuinely impressed by the thoughtfulness of the submissions and shares a heartfelt thank you to everybody who took the time to share their ideas of what a compelling KMP Contest Starter Kit would look like.
Take part in the 10th annual JetBrains Developer Ecosystem Survey! Your insights are essential. They help us map the state of software development and shape the industry report we’ll publish from the aggregated results.
IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio remain the most complete environments for Kotlin development. But not every Kotlin developer uses either IDE – some prefer VS Code. Kotlin by JetBrains is an extension for those developers, providing official Kotlin language support in VS Code, powered by the Kotlin Language Server, and offering core features for reading, writing, and navigating Kotlin code.
Expect Actual
Technical deep dives, or solving the "how-the-hell-do-I-test-this" problems.
Stop treating Kotlin like a black box! 🧠
To build truly performant multiplatform apps, writing code that just "works" isn't enough. We need to understand what the compiler is actually doing under the hood.
That’s why I highly recommend Practical Kotlin Deep Dive by skydoves. This isn't a basic syntax guide, it breaks down Kotlin internals, bytecode, and coroutines. It’s been a total game-changer for me when writing and optimizing shared code.
If you want to level up your Kotlin and KMP skills to a senior standard, you need this on your desk.
Publishing a Kotlin Multiplatform library to Maven Central is your homologation moment. Until you do it, your library is a
mavenLocal() entry that only you can use. After it, anyone can add one line to their libs.versions.toml and pull it in without cloning anything.Kotlin keeps getting better at expressing intent in the type system. One of the most interesting language proposals right now is Context Parameters, a redesign of the earlier context receivers idea.
This article walks through a working implementation that covers all three platforms. The focus is on the decisions that required real investigation — not the parts that follow directly from reading the API documentation, but the parts where the documentation is silent and the behavior is only understandable after tracing through what is actually happening.
LazyColumn
Compose Multiplatform tips, tricks, and code snippets.
KMPify is a Kotlin tool that helps migrate Android Jetpack Compose projects to Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) with minimal effort. Available as both a CLI tool and Desktop GUI.
If you work with predictive back in Compose and have updated to Compose Multiplatform 1.10.x, your code likely no longer compiles. This isn’t a bug:
PredictiveBackHandler() has been deprecated, and the new API changes how you model the “back” gesture. In this article, I’ll explain what changed, why, and how to migrate step by step.The Dependency Graph
Curated libraries, tools and plugins that won't break your Gradle build.
- Kottie
Compose Multiplatform animation library that parses Adobe After Effects animations. Inspired by Airbnb/Lottie. - KmpEssentials
KmpEssentials is a library that contains apis (40+ Modules) to accelerate your development. Everything from managing the Battery, File System, getting Package information, or taking Photos. Supports iOS, Android, AppleWatch, JVM & JS. - Sentinel
Sentinel is a modular Kotlin Multiplatform security toolkit designed to analyze operating environments and detect potential security threats in real time. - NumberFlow
A per-digit animated number ticker for Compose Multiplatform — only the digits that change move, and they roll up when the value increases, down when it decreases. Locale-friendly formatting, configurable animation, prefix/suffix friendly.
Target: Production
Showcase of real-world apps proving KMP is ready for prime time.
Carrd - Simple, free, fully responsive one-page sites for pretty much anything.
Whether it's a personal profile, a landing page for your KMP project, or something a bit more elaborate, Carrd has you covered. Simple, responsive, and yup — totally free!
Dev Mode Ltd
Careers
Kotlin Multiplatform job postings and opportunities.
wellfound • Where startups and job seekers connect.
🤝 Connect directly with founders at top startups - no third party recruiters allowed.
💸 Everything you need to know, all upfront. View salary, stock options, and more before applying.
✌️ Say goodbye to cover letters - your profile is all you need. One click to apply and you're done.
✨ Unique jobs at startups and tech companies you can’t find anywhere else.
Remote in Germany, Spain, Portugal or the U.K.
We’re looking for a Senior Mobile Engineer to join the Food Tracking squad at Yazio, the team building the core experience of our product. This includes daily food tracking, AI-driven insights, and features used by millions every day.
You are a key part in shaping the Food Tracking squad, leveraging our Kotlin Multiplatform (KMP) stack to deliver high-impact solutions for iOS and Android users. You join a cross-functional team partnering closely with Product Managers, Designers and Analysts.
🚀 Get Featured!
Got something interesting to share with the Kotlin Multiplatform community? Submit your link for a chance to get featured in the next issue of commonMain.dev.
🤝 Support the Build
commonMain.dev is made possible by our partners. If you have a tool or service that helps KMP developers ship to production faster, we’d love to help you reach our community. Collaborate with us.
✍ Code Review
This newsletter is curated and written by a real human being. I’m always looking for ways to optimize the build. Was there something you liked or disliked in particular? Or did you find a bug in this issue? Simply reply to this email - I read every comment from the community and take your feedback into account for the next release.
Until next time,
Stay platform-independent!
Bogdan • Founder of commonMain.dev