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Navigation 3

Android (Google)OfficialCreated by Google LLCDistributed by Android (Google)

  • Skill
  • Tool integration
  • Software development
  • Apache-2.0
  • No issues found

From the author

Learn how to install and migrate to Jetpack Navigation 3, and how to implement features and patterns such as deep links, multiple backstacks, scenes (dialogs, bottom sheets, list-detail, two-pane, supporting pane), conditional navigation (such as logged-in navigation versus anonymous), returning results from flows, integration with Hilt, ViewModel, Kotlin, and view interoperability.
— the description by Google LLC

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides developers with the necessary documentation, migration steps, and code recipes to adopt Jetpack Navigation 3. It covers the core concepts of the library, including back stack management, adaptive layouts using Scenes, deep link handling, and integration with Hilt, ViewModel, and Material 3 Adaptive components. The resource is designed to help developers transition from Navigation 2 or implement new navigation flows with a focus on type-safe, Compose-first architecture.

What it does

  • Provides a step-by-step migration path from Navigation 2 to Navigation 3.
  • Explains how to define destinations, manage back stacks, and use NavDisplay.
  • Offers code recipes for common patterns like bottom sheets, dialogs, and adaptive layouts.
  • Demonstrates how to handle deep links, animations, and conditional navigation.
  • Shows integration with dependency injection frameworks like Hilt and Koin.
  • Details how to pass arguments to ViewModels and return results between screens.

When to use it

  • When you need to migrate an existing Android app from Navigation 2 to Navigation 3.
  • When building a new Android application using Jetpack Compose.
  • When implementing complex navigation patterns like multiple back stacks or adaptive list-detail views.
  • When you need to handle deep links or conditional navigation flows in a type-safe manner.

Advantages

  • Full control over the back stack and navigation state.
  • Native support for adaptive layouts and multi-pane displays.
  • Strongly typed navigation routes.
  • Simplified integration with Jetpack Compose and ViewModel.
  • Extensive library of code recipes for common UI and architectural patterns.

Usage examples

“How do I migrate my existing Android app from Navigation 2 to Navigation 3?”
The agent will guide you through the migration steps, including updating dependencies, replacing NavController with the new state management classes, and switching from NavHost to NavDisplay.
“Show me how to implement a list-detail layout using Navigation 3.”
The agent will provide the relevant code recipe for implementing adaptive list-detail scenes using the Navigation 3 Scenes API.
“How can I handle conditional navigation for an authentication flow?”
The agent will explain how to switch navigation flows based on conditions, such as checking user login status, using the conditional navigation recipe.
“How do I pass arguments to a ViewModel in Navigation 3?”
The agent will demonstrate how to pass navigation arguments to a ViewModel constructed using the viewModel() function.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/android/navigation-3/download
  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip navigation-3.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by Google LLC


Migration guide

  • Navigation 2 to Navigation 3 migration guide: Step-by-step guide to migrate an Android application from Navigation 2 to Navigation 3, covering dependency updates, route changes, state management, and UI component replacements.

Requirements

Developer documentation

  • Navigation 3. Search documentation for more information on basics, saving and managing navigation state, modularizing navigation code, creating custom layouts using Scenes, animating between destinations, or applying logic or wrappers to destinations.

Recipes

Code examples showcasing common patterns.

Basic API usage
Common UI
  • Common UI: Demonstrates how to implement a common navigation UI pattern with a bottom navigation bar and multiple back stacks, where each tab in the navigation bar has its own navigation history.

Scenes
Use built-in Scenes
  • Dialog: Shows how to create a Dialog.

Create custom Scenes
  • BottomSheet: Shows how to create a BottomSheet destination.

  • List-Detail Scene: Demonstrates how to implement adaptive list-detail layouts using the Navigation 3 Scenes API.

  • Two pane Scene: Demonstrates how to implement adaptive two-pane layouts using the Navigation 3 Scenes API.

Material Adaptive
  • Material List-Detail: Demonstrates how to implement an adaptive list-detail layout using Material 3 Adaptive.

  • Material Supporting Pane: Demonstrates how to implement an adaptive supporting pane layout using Material 3 Adaptive.

Animations
  • Animations: Shows how to override the default animations for all destinations and a single destination.

  • Conditional Transitions: Shows how to implement conditional transition animations.

Common back stack behavior
  • Multiple back stacks: Shows how to create multiple top level routes, each with its own back stack. Top level routes are displayed in a navigation bar allowing users to switch between them. State is retained for each top level route, and the navigation state persists config changes and process death.

Conditional navigation
  • Conditional navigation: Switch to a different navigation flow when a condition is met. For example, for authentication or first-time user onboarding.

Lifecycle
Architecture
Working with ViewModel
Passing navigation arguments
  • Basic ViewModel : Navigation arguments are passed to a ViewModel constructed using viewModel()

Returning results

Files

references/android/guide/navigation/navigation-3/recipes/scenes-twopane.md

Two-Pane Scene Recipe

This example shows how to create a two pane layout using the Scenes API.

A TwoPaneSceneStrategy will return a TwoPaneScene if:

  • the window width is over 600dp

  • the last two nav entries on the back stack have indicated that they support being displayed in a TwoPaneScene in their metadata.

See TwoPaneScene.kt for more implementation details. Image: untitled Explore View the full recipe on GitHub.

package com.example.nav3recipes.scenes.twopane

import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Row
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
import androidx.compose.material3.adaptive.currentWindowAdaptiveInfoV2
import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.NavEntry
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.NavMetadataKey
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.contains
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.metadata
import androidx.navigation3.scene.Scene
import androidx.navigation3.scene.SceneStrategy
import androidx.navigation3.scene.SceneStrategyScope
import androidx.window.core.layout.WindowSizeClass
import androidx.window.core.layout.WindowSizeClass.Companion.WIDTH_DP_MEDIUM_LOWER_BOUND

// --- TwoPaneScene ---
/**
 * A custom [Scene] that displays two [NavEntry]s side-by-side in a 50/50 split.
 */
data class TwoPaneScene<T : Any>(
    override val key: Any,
    override val previousEntries: List<NavEntry<T>>,
    val firstEntry: NavEntry<T>,
    val secondEntry: NavEntry<T>
) : Scene<T> {
    override val entries: List<NavEntry<T>> = listOf(firstEntry, secondEntry)
    override val content: @Composable (() -> Unit) = {
        Row(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize()) {
            Column(modifier = Modifier.weight(0.5f)) {
                firstEntry.Content()
            }
            Column(modifier = Modifier.weight(0.5f)) {
                secondEntry.Content()
            }
        }
    }

    companion object {
        /**
         * Helper function to add metadata to a [NavEntry] indicating it can be displayed
         * in a two-pane layout.
         */
        fun twoPane() = metadata {
            put(TwoPaneKey, true)
        }
    }

    object TwoPaneKey : NavMetadataKey<Boolean>
}

@Composable
fun <T : Any> rememberTwoPaneSceneStrategy(): TwoPaneSceneStrategy<T> {
    val windowSizeClass = currentWindowAdaptiveInfoV2().windowSizeClass

    return remember(windowSizeClass) {
        TwoPaneSceneStrategy(windowSizeClass)
    }
}


// --- TwoPaneSceneStrategy ---
/**
 * A [SceneStrategy] that activates a [TwoPaneScene] if the window is wide enough
 * and the top two back stack entries declare support for two-pane display.
 */
class TwoPaneSceneStrategy<T : Any>(val windowSizeClass: WindowSizeClass) : SceneStrategy<T> {

    override fun SceneStrategyScope<T>.calculateScene(entries: List<NavEntry<T>>): Scene<T>? {

        // Condition 1: Only return a Scene if the window is sufficiently wide to render two panes.
        // We use isWidthAtLeastBreakpoint with WIDTH_DP_MEDIUM_LOWER_BOUND (600dp).
        if (!windowSizeClass.isWidthAtLeastBreakpoint(WIDTH_DP_MEDIUM_LOWER_BOUND)) {
            return null
        }

        val lastTwoEntries = entries.takeLast(2)

        // Condition 2: Only return a Scene if there are two entries, and both have declared
        // they can be displayed in a two pane scene.
        return if (lastTwoEntries.size == 2
            && lastTwoEntries.all { it.metadata.contains(TwoPaneScene.TwoPaneKey) }
        ) {
            val firstEntry = lastTwoEntries.first()
            val secondEntry = lastTwoEntries.last()

            // The scene key must uniquely represent the state of the scene.
            // A Pair of the first and second entry keys ensures uniqueness.
            val sceneKey = Pair(firstEntry.contentKey, secondEntry.contentKey)

            TwoPaneScene(
                key = sceneKey,
                // Where we go back to is a UX decision. In this case, we only remove the top
                // entry from the back stack, despite displaying two entries in this scene.
                // This is because in this app we only ever add one entry to the
                // back stack at a time. It would therefore be confusing to the user to add one
                // when navigating forward, but remove two when navigating back.
                previousEntries = entries.dropLast(1),
                firstEntry = firstEntry,
                secondEntry = secondEntry
            )

        } else {
            null
        }
    }


}
/*
 * Copyright 2025 The Android Open Source Project
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */

package com.example.nav3recipes.scenes.twopane

import android.os.Bundle
import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
import androidx.activity.compose.setContent
import androidx.compose.animation.SharedTransitionLayout
import androidx.compose.foundation.background
import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
import androidx.compose.material3.Button
import androidx.compose.material3.Text
import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
import androidx.lifecycle.compose.dropUnlessResumed
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.NavBackStack
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.NavKey
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.entryProvider
import androidx.navigation3.runtime.rememberNavBackStack
import androidx.navigation3.ui.NavDisplay
import com.example.nav3recipes.content.ContentBase
import com.example.nav3recipes.content.ContentGreen
import com.example.nav3recipes.content.ContentRed
import com.example.nav3recipes.ui.setEdgeToEdgeConfig
import com.example.nav3recipes.ui.theme.colors
import kotlinx.serialization.Serializable

@Serializable
private object Home : NavKey

@Serializable
private data class Product(val id: Int) : NavKey

@Serializable
private data object Profile : NavKey

class TwoPaneActivity : ComponentActivity() {

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        setEdgeToEdgeConfig()
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)

        setContent {
            val backStack = rememberNavBackStack(Home)
            val twoPaneStrategy = rememberTwoPaneSceneStrategy<NavKey>()

            SharedTransitionLayout {
                NavDisplay(
                    backStack = backStack,
                    onBack = { backStack.removeLastOrNull() },
                    sceneStrategies = listOf(twoPaneStrategy),
                    sharedTransitionScope = this,
                    entryProvider = entryProvider {
                        entry<Home>(
                            metadata = TwoPaneScene.twoPane()
                        ) {
                            ContentRed("Welcome to Nav3") {
                                Button(onClick = { backStack.addProductRoute(1) }) {
                                    Text("View the first product")
                                }
                            }
                        }
                        entry<Product>(
                            metadata = TwoPaneScene.twoPane()
                        ) { product ->
                            ContentBase(
                                "Product ${product.id} ",
                                Modifier.background(colors[product.id % colors.size])
                            ) {
                                Column(horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally) {
                                    Button(onClick = dropUnlessResumed {
                                        backStack.addProductRoute(product.id + 1)
                                    }) {
                                        Text("View the next product")
                                    }
                                    Button(onClick = dropUnlessResumed {
                                        backStack.add(Profile)
                                    }) {
                                        Text("View profile")
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                        entry<Profile> {
                            ContentGreen("Profile (single pane only)")
                        }
                    }
                )
            }
        }
    }
}

private fun NavBackStack<NavKey>.addProductRoute(productId: Int) {
    val productRoute =
        Product(productId)
    // Avoid adding the same product route to the back stack twice.
    if (!contains(productRoute)) {
        add(productRoute)
    }
}

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

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Attribution and licence

Created by
Google LLC
Publisher
Android (Google) (Official)
Distributed by
Android (Google)
Source
android/skills · navigation/navigation-3 · commit bf68e2d
Licence
Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE.txt)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google LLC or Android (Google).

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The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download navigation-3.zip