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debugging-recompositions

Use this skill to find which Jetpack Compose composables are recomposing and why, using Android Studio Layout Inspector recomposition counts and skip counts, the per-parameter Argument Change Reasons (Changed / Unchanged / Uncertain / Static / Unknown) introduced in Android Studio Hedgehog and later, and runtime `@TraceRecomposition` from `compose-stability-analyzer` for production-like measurement. Walks through enabling counts, mapping each Argument Change Reason to a fix, and confirming the result in a release build. Use when the developer says "this should be skipping but isn't", "I want to see recomposition counts", asks what "Uncertain" or "Unknown" means in the inspector, or needs to confirm a stability or strong-skipping fix actually worked end-to-end.

recomposition/debugging-recompositions/SKILL.md

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Jun 16, 2026
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# Debugging Recompositions — make the invisible visible, then map status to action

Recomposition is invisible by default. A composable that re-runs sixty times a second to redraw an animation looks identical in source to one that should re-run zero times when its parent ticks. Three layers of instrumentation make it visible: **Layout Inspector** recomposition counts and skip counts (Android Studio, debug build), Layout Inspector **Argument Change Reasons** (Hedgehog and later, per-parameter Changed / Unchanged / Uncertain / Static / Unknown classifications), and runtime **`@TraceRecomposition`** from `compose-stability-analyzer` for release / R8 / real-device measurement.

This skill is the diagnostic layer. It does not fix recompositions; it tells the developer which composable is recomposing and which parameter is responsible. Once the param is named, the fix lives in a sibling skill — stability for unstable types, strong skipping for lambda capture, or phase deferral for state reads in the wrong phase.

## When to use this skill

- The developer says "this should be skipping but it's not" or "this re-runs every time the parent ticks".
- The developer wants to count recompositions of a specific composable to confirm a fix worked.
- The developer asks what "Uncertain", "Unknown", "Static", or "Unchanged" means in the Layout Inspector recomposition reasons panel.
- A PR claims a stability or strong-skipping fix; the reviewer needs to confirm the recomposition actually went away in release.
- The user mentions "recomposition count", "Layout Inspector", "Argument Change Reasons", "Hedgehog", "@TraceRecomposition", or "why is this recomposing".