Android Material Review

Android Material Review

Purpose

Audit an Android interface (Jetpack Compose or View-based XML) against Material Design 3: edge-to-edge layout, predictive back gesture, dynamic color theming, touch ripple, density-independent sizing, adaptive icons, and TalkBack accessibility. The output is a set of findings with Material 3 spec references and a concrete fix for each, ranked by Play Store submission risk and device-behavior impact. The review reads source only and never triggers Gradle builds, signing, or Play Console uploads.

When to use

• A Compose or XML-based screen needs review before Play Store submission.
• A feature PR introduces new navigation, bottom-sheet, or dialog patterns.
• The app targets Android 12 and later and needs an audit for dynamic color or predictive back support.
• A TalkBack or accessibility audit is requested.

When not to use

• The app is iOS-only — use ios-hig-review.
• The review is purely about backend API calls with no UI surface.
• The codebase is React Native or Flutter — Material conventions apply differently; run mobile-app-review first to pick the right audit path.

Procedure

1. Identify SDK versions and Compose versus View. Note compileSdk, targetSdk, and minSdk. Confirm Jetpack Compose, XML Views, or both. Check the androidx.compose.material3 dependency version.
2. Review edge-to-edge layout. Verify enableEdgeToEdge() (or WindowCompat.setDecorFitsSystemWindows(window, false)) in onCreate. Confirm WindowInsets padding is applied to scrolling containers and FABs so content is not clipped behind the gesture bar.
3. Audit predictive back-gesture support. Confirm android:enableOnBackInvokedCallback="true" in the manifest for Android 13 and later targets. Verify OnBackPressedCallback or Compose BackHandler is used instead of overriding the deprecated onBackPressed().
4. Review Material 3 theming. Confirm the root theme is Material 3, not material2. Color roles (primary, surface, onSurface, error) must come from the theme, not hardcoded hex. Offer dynamicColorScheme on Android 12 and later.
5. Check typography and density. Text should use MaterialTheme.typography.* tokens (bodyLarge, titleMedium) or TextAppearance.Material3.* in XML. Font sizes must be in sp; layout dimensions in dp, never raw px.
6. Review ripple and touch feedback. Interactive composables should use Modifier.clickable {} (which supplies a ripple) or an explicit indication = ripple(). XML clickable views need ?attr/selectableItemBackground.
7. Audit the adaptive icon. Verify ic_launcher.xml splits foreground and background layers, is not letter-boxed on circular launchers, and includes a <monochrome> layer for Android 13 and later themed icons.
8. Review bottom-sheet and dialog patterns. Use ModalBottomSheet and BottomSheetScaffold from material3, not the deprecated material2 BottomSheetDialog. Dialogs must support dismissal (tap-outside and back gesture).
9. Check touch-target sizes. Minimum 48x48 dp for interactive elements. Use Modifier.minimumInteractiveComponentSize() in Compose; minWidth/minHeight 48dp in XML.
10. Audit TalkBack accessibility. Confirm contentDescription on image-only buttons; set contentDescription = null on decorative images; verify reading order with semantics { traversalIndex } where needed.
11. Review navigation component usage. Confirm a NavController drives navigation instead of manual back-stack manipulation, and that deep links are declared in the navigation graph, not only the manifest.
12. Summarize findings with severity and Material 3 spec references.

Concrete checks

Layout and back gesture:

• Edge-to-edge is enabled and insets are applied to FAB and scroll containers.
• OnBackInvokedCallback is registered; the deprecated onBackPressed override is removed.
• The status-bar color is system-managed, not hardcoded.

Theming and density:

• The material3 dependency is present; color roles come from the theme with no hardcoded hex.
• dynamicColorScheme is offered on Android 12 and later.
• Typography uses MaterialTheme.typography.*; text is in sp, dimensions in dp.

Feedback and icons:

• Ripple or selectableItemBackground is present on all interactive elements.
• The adaptive icon has foreground, background, and a monochrome layer.

Touch and accessibility:

• Touch targets are at least 48x48 dp; Compose uses minimumInteractiveComponentSize().
• TalkBack has contentDescription on icon buttons; decorative images are null.
• A NavController drives navigation; deep links are in the nav graph.

Commands

# --- SDK / version ---
# SDK levels and material3 version
rg -n 'compileSdk|targetSdk|minSdk|material3' . 2>/dev/null | head

# --- edge-to-edge / back ---
# edge-to-edge enabled?
rg -n 'enableEdgeToEdge|setDecorFitsSystemWindows' .

# deprecated back handling
rg -n 'override fun onBackPressed' .

# window insets consumed on bottom content?
rg -n 'windowInsetsPadding|WindowInsets.navigationBars|systemBarsPadding' . | head

# --- theming / density ---
# material2 imports mixed into a material3 app
rg -n 'androidx\.compose\.material\.(Button|Scaffold|TopAppBar|AlertDialog)\b' .

# hardcoded hex colors and px dimensions (theming/density smells)
rg -n '#[0-9a-fA-F]{6}|[0-9]+px' . | head -40

# hardcoded status-bar color (breaks dynamic color)
rg -n 'statusBarColor|navigationBarColor' .

# --- touch / feedback ---
# touch-target enforcement in Compose
rg -n 'minimumInteractiveComponentSize|sizeIn\(minWidth' .

# ripple / selectable background on clickable views
rg -n 'selectableItemBackground|Modifier.clickable|indication' . | head

# --- accessibility / nav ---
# TalkBack content descriptions on icon buttons
rg -n 'contentDescription' . | head

# NavController usage and nav-graph deep links
rg -n 'NavController|navController|deepLink|navDeepLink' . | head

# --- ANR risk ---
# main-thread I/O (ANR on low-end devices)
rg -n 'getSharedPreferences|\.query\(|readText\(\)' . | head

# --- bottom sheet / dialog ---
# material2 bottom sheet / dialog still in use
rg -n 'BottomSheetDialog|android\.app\.AlertDialog' . | head

# --- adaptive icon ---
# adaptive icon layers including a monochrome layer
rg -n 'monochrome|<foreground|<background' . app/src/main/res 2>/dev/null | head

# --- orientation ---
# locked orientation declared intentionally?
rg -n 'screenOrientation' .

Common issues & anti-patterns

• WindowInsets not consumed: omitting Modifier.windowInsetsPadding(WindowInsets.navigationBars) on bottom content hides it behind the gesture bar on gesture-nav devices.
• Hardcoded status-bar color: setting window.statusBarColor directly breaks dynamic color and dark mode on Android 12 and later. Let the system manage bar color via WindowCompat.
• Material2 mixed with Material3: importing androidx.compose.material.Button in a Material 3 app breaks theming — all components must come from androidx.compose.material3.
• Deprecated AlertDialog: android.app.AlertDialog bypasses Material 3 shape and color. Use androidx.compose.material3.AlertDialog.
• No scrim on a modal bottom sheet: a custom sheet without a scrim violates modal conventions and confuses screen-reader users.
• Landscape ignored: locking screenOrientation="portrait" is fine for some games but should be a deliberate, declared choice for general apps.
• ANR from main-thread I/O: reading SharedPreferences or a database on the UI thread freezes low-end devices — move it to Dispatchers.IO.
• px instead of dp: specifying dimensions in raw pixels, so the layout scales incorrectly across screen densities.
• Letter-boxed adaptive icon: a launcher icon whose foreground fills the entire safe zone, so it is clipped awkwardly on circular and squircle launchers.
• Missing monochrome layer: no <monochrome> drawable, so the app icon falls back to a generic look under Android 13 themed icons.
• No ripple on a custom clickable: a Modifier.clickable without an indication, or an XML view with no selectableItemBackground, so taps give no visual feedback.

Required output

Return a structured report with:

1. SDK target, Compose version, and material3 version summary.
2. Findings table: Screen/Component, Material 3 Spec, Severity, Issue, Fix.
3. TalkBack and edge-to-edge pass/fail summary.
4. Top three must-fix items before Play Store submission.

Safety

• Do not modify AndroidManifest.xml permissions without listing every change explicitly for user review.
• Do not trigger Gradle builds, signing, or Play Console uploads.
• Do not read or reproduce keystore credentials or signing configs.
• Redact any API keys found in gradle.properties or resource files.
• Treat accessibility and data-handling gaps as submission blockers, not cosmetic notes.

Completion criteria

Done means SDK levels and the UI system are identified; edge-to-edge, predictive back, Material 3 theming, typography and density, ripple, the adaptive icon, touch targets, TalkBack, and navigation were each checked; every finding cites a Material 3 area and a concrete fix; and the top three submission blockers are called out with a TalkBack and edge-to-edge pass/fail summary.