XML vs. Jetpack Compose in 2026: Is XML Finally Dead?

Published on Thursday, January 22, 2026

It has been over five years since Jetpack Compose hit its stable 1.0 release, and the Android development landscape has shifted dramatically. In 2026, the question isn't "Should I learn Compose?"—that ship sailed years ago. The question now is, "Is XML truly dead, or does it still have a pulse in modern Android development?"

Let’s dive deep into the ecosystem to understand where we stand today.



The Evolution: How We Got Here

For over a decade, Android’s UI toolkit relied on the imperative XML system. It was verbose, separated logic (Java/Kotlin) from layout (XML), and often required complex "glue" code like findViewById or ViewBinding.

Then came Jetpack Compose. By 2024, it had become the default for all new Android projects. Now, in 2026, Google’s "Compose First" strategy has fully matured. The majority of libraries, documentation, and tooling are built with Compose as the primary citizen.

Why Compose Won the War

  • Declarative UI: Compose allows developers to describe what the UI should look like for a given state, rather than manually mutating views. This eliminates an entire class of bugs related to state synchronization.
  • Less Code, More Power: A complex RecyclerView adapter that used to take 50+ lines of code is now a simple LazyColumn block of 5 lines.
  • Kotlin Everywhere: Gone are the days of context-switching between XML and Kotlin. Your UI is code, meaning you have the full power of the language—loops, conditionals, and functions—right inside your layout definitions.
  • Multiplatform Ready: Compose Multiplatform (CMP) has solidified its place. You can now share your UI code across Android, iOS, Desktop, and Web with remarkable ease, something XML could never dream of.

Is XML Dead? (The Reality Check)

If you are starting a new app in 2026, XML is effectively dead. There is almost zero reason to start a greenfield project with the View system. However, "dead" is a strong word for a technology that powers millions of apps currently on the Play Store.

Where XML Still Lives:

  • Legacy Codebases: Massive applications (banking, enterprise, social media) built between 2010 and 2021 still have huge chunks of XML. Rewriting them entirely is often not cost-effective.
  • Maintenance Mode: Many stable apps are in "maintenance mode," where developers only fix bugs. Introducing Compose dependencies to these projects might be unnecessary overhead.
  • Complex Custom Views: While Compose is powerful, there are still rare, ultra-specific scenarios involving low-level rendering or legacy third-party SDKs that only provide XML-based Views.

The Hybrid Approach: The 2026 Standard

The most common pattern we see today is the "Hybrid Architecture." You don't have to rewrite your entire app at once.

  • New Features: Build all new screens in Compose.
  • Old Screens: Keep them in XML until they need a major redesign.
  • Interoperability: The ComposeView (to put Compose in XML) and AndroidView (to put XML in Compose) APIs are seamless and robust.

Performance in 2026

In the early days (2021-2022), Compose had some growing pains regarding build times and scroll performance in debug builds. In 2026, those issues are largely history.

  • R8/ProGuard Optimizations: Modern build tools strip away unused Compose code efficiently.
  • Baseline Profiles: Google’s Baseline Profiles have made app startup and initial frame rendering incredibly fast, often matching or beating highly optimized XML layouts.
  • Smart Recomposition: The Compose compiler has become incredibly smart at skipping unnecessary UI redraws, making apps battery-efficient and buttery smooth.

The Verdict

Is XML dead? Functionally, yes. It is a legacy technology. It is no longer the standard, it is no longer being actively evolved by Google, and it is not what employers are looking for in 2026.

However, operationally, no. It will likely stick around for another decade in the depths of older codebases, much like Java still lingers in a Kotlin world.

What Should You Do?

If you are a new developer: Learn Jetpack Compose. Do not spend significant time mastering XML attributes unless you are hired to maintain a specific legacy project.

If you are an experienced developer: Ensure you are fully proficient in Compose and Compose Multiplatform. Use the interoperability APIs to modernize your current projects incrementally.

The future is declarative. The future is Compose.