Simplifying Navigation in Multi-Module Android Apps

Meetup's Android team ditched Activities and Fragments for pure Jetpack Compose—and immediately noticed the performance difference. Here's how they navigated the complexity of multi-module apps.

The Meetup engineering team built two apps on Kotlin Multiplatform with shared business logic across modules. Navigation between modules became a major challenge until they discovered Compose Destinations—but the official examples were too complex for their needs.

Key Takeaways

• Chose Compose Destinations for type-safe navigation and built-in data return handling
• Simplified implementation by skipping nested graphs, using single NavGraphs.kt per app
• Staff immediately noticed faster screen loading compared to old Fragment-based approach
• KSP plugin generates destinations across modules with minimal configuration
• Built on official Jetpack Navigation so no new system to learn

The team's approach to conditional start routes based on auth state reveals a practical pattern most navigation guides skip entirely.