Modular Secrets to Lightning-Fast Android Builds

What if you could stop unnecessary recompilations? Learn the modularization patterns that unlock lightning-fast Android builds and boost developer efficiency.

#1about 2 minutes

The daily struggle with slow Gradle builds

Slow and failing Gradle builds are a common frustration for Android developers that can be solved with better project architecture.

#2about 3 minutes

How modularization enables incremental builds

Splitting a monolithic project into smaller, independent sub-projects allows Gradle to use incremental builds and only recompile what has changed.

#3about 3 minutes

Using `implementation` instead of `api` for dependencies

The `api` configuration leaks transitive dependencies to downstream modules, causing unnecessary recompilations, whereas `implementation` encapsulates them.

#4about 2 minutes

Breaking up generic "commons" modules

Generic "commons" modules violate the single responsibility principle and become a bottleneck for recompilation, so they should be split into smaller, feature-specific modules.

#5about 2 minutes

Splitting large feature modules for faster testing

Large, complex feature modules should be broken down into smaller submodules and paired with a dedicated sample app for faster, isolated testing.

#6about 1 minute

Using public API modules to reduce recompilation

For frequently changing domains, separate the stable public API with interfaces from the implementation to prevent cascading recompilations in dependent modules.

#7about 4 minutes

Removing dependencies with a navigation system

Eliminate direct module dependencies required only for navigation by implementing a centralized system using deep links or a custom navigator pattern.

#8about 5 minutes

Unifying build logic with Gradle convention plugins

Create custom Gradle convention plugins to centralize and reuse build configurations like Hilt, Detekt, and library settings across all modules.

#9about 2 minutes

Centralizing dependencies with version catalogs

Use a TOML-based version catalog to define all library versions and plugins in a single file, ensuring consistency and simplifying updates across the project.

#10about 2 minutes

Sharing version catalogs in a polyrepo setup

For projects spanning multiple repositories, create and publish a custom Gradle settings plugin to share a single version catalog and maintain dependency consistency.