Material You is a groundbreaking evolution in design philosophy introduced by Google with Android 12, emphasizing personalized and dynamic theming. It empowers developers to create cohesive, vibrant, and user-centric designs by leveraging dynamic color extraction and enhanced material theming. With Jetpack Compose, Android’s modern UI toolkit, implementing Material You is both efficient and powerful. This blog explores advanced concepts, best practices, and practical techniques for crafting a Material You theme in Jetpack Compose.
Understanding Material You
Material You shifts the focus to dynamic personalization, allowing apps to adapt their look and feel based on the user’s wallpaper and color preferences. Core features include:
Dynamic Color: Automatic extraction of a harmonious color palette from the user’s wallpaper.
Customizable Typography and Shapes: Enhanced flexibility to refine font styles and corner shapes.
Unified Design System: Consistent theming across all app components and screens.
Jetpack Compose makes it seamless to adopt Material You’s principles, leveraging the MaterialTheme composable.
Setting Up Your Compose Project
Before diving into Material You theming, ensure your project is configured for Jetpack Compose:
Dependencies: Include the latest Compose libraries in your
build.gradle
file.dependencies { implementation("androidx.compose.material3:material3:1.x.x") implementation("androidx.compose.ui:ui:1.x.x") implementation("androidx.compose.ui:ui-tooling:1.x.x") implementation("androidx.compose.foundation:foundation:1.x.x") }
Enable Compose: Add Compose-specific options in your
build.gradle
.android { buildFeatures { compose true } composeOptions { kotlinCompilerExtensionVersion "1.x.x" } }
Minimum API Level: Set the minimum API level to 21 or higher for Compose compatibility.
Creating a Material You Theme
In Jetpack Compose, the MaterialTheme
composable provides the foundation for theming. Let’s implement a Material You theme step by step.
1. Defining Dynamic Colors
Android 12 introduced DynamicColors
, which extracts a color palette based on the user’s wallpaper. Use DynamicTheme
for seamless integration:
Code Example:
@Composable
fun MyAppTheme(
darkTheme: Boolean = isSystemInDarkTheme(),
content: @Composable () -> Unit
) {
val colorScheme = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.S) {
val context = LocalContext.current
if (darkTheme) dynamicDarkColorScheme(context) else dynamicLightColorScheme(context)
} else {
if (darkTheme) DarkColorScheme else LightColorScheme
}
MaterialTheme(
colorScheme = colorScheme,
typography = Typography,
shapes = Shapes,
content = content
)
}
2. Building a Custom Color Palette
While dynamic colors are ideal for Android 12+, creating a custom palette ensures compatibility with older devices. Define your light and dark color schemes:
Code Example:
private val LightColorScheme = lightColorScheme(
primary = Blue500,
secondary = Teal200,
background = Color.White,
surface = Color.White,
onPrimary = Color.White,
onSecondary = Color.Black,
onBackground = Color.Black,
onSurface = Color.Black
)
private val DarkColorScheme = darkColorScheme(
primary = Blue700,
secondary = Teal200,
background = Color.Black,
surface = Color.Black,
onPrimary = Color.Black,
onSecondary = Color.White,
onBackground = Color.White,
onSurface = Color.White
)
3. Typography and Shapes
Material You allows for extensive customization of typography and shapes to reflect your app’s brand identity.
Typography Example:
val Typography = Typography(
h1 = TextStyle(
fontFamily = FontFamily.Default,
fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold,
fontSize = 30.sp
),
body1 = TextStyle(
fontFamily = FontFamily.Default,
fontWeight = FontWeight.Normal,
fontSize = 16.sp
)
)
Shapes Example:
val Shapes = Shapes(
small = RoundedCornerShape(4.dp),
medium = RoundedCornerShape(8.dp),
large = RoundedCornerShape(16.dp)
)
4. Applying the Theme
Wrap your app’s content in the custom theme to apply Material You consistently.
Code Example:
@Composable
fun MyApp() {
MyAppTheme {
// Your app content
Surface {
HomeScreen()
}
}
}
Advanced Techniques
1. Dynamic Color Previews
Jetpack Compose allows you to preview dynamic themes in Android Studio:
Code Example:
@Preview(showBackground = true)
@Composable
fun LightThemePreview() {
MyAppTheme(darkTheme = false) {
HomeScreen()
}
}
@Preview(showBackground = true)
@Composable
fun DarkThemePreview() {
MyAppTheme(darkTheme = true) {
HomeScreen()
}
}
2. Material You Widgets
Leverage Material You’s widgets, such as buttons and cards, for a consistent design:
Button Example:
Button(
onClick = { /* Handle click */ },
colors = ButtonDefaults.buttonColors(containerColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary)
) {
Text("Click Me", color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onPrimary)
}
Best Practices
Fallback for Older Versions: Ensure compatibility by providing default color schemes for Android 11 and below.
Testing Dynamic Colors: Test your app on devices with varying wallpapers to ensure dynamic theming works as intended.
Consistency: Maintain a consistent look and feel by adhering to Material You’s guidelines.
Conclusion
Jetpack Compose simplifies the implementation of Material You, enabling developers to create dynamic, personalized, and visually appealing apps. By leveraging dynamic colors, custom typography, and MaterialTheme, you can deliver a modern, user-centric experience that aligns with Google’s latest design standards.
Start exploring Material You in Jetpack Compose today and elevate your app’s design to the next level. Happy coding!