name: android-navigation-best-practices description: Android navigation — type-safe routes, deep links, App Links, navigation patterns. user-invocable: true

Android Navigation Best Practices

Cross-cutting skill — always activates alongside the project-type-specific skill.

Hard Rules

• •Use type-safe navigation (Navigation Compose routes as data classes/objects).
• •Verify App Links with Digital Asset Links (assetlinks.json).
• •Handle deep link fallbacks for users without the app installed.
• •Never put heavy logic in navigation callbacks or destination lambdas.
• •Use "standard" launch mode with Navigation — avoid singleTask/singleInstance unless justified.
• •Validate all deep link parameters before processing.
• •Use SavedStateHandle for navigation arguments that must survive process death.
• •Support predictive back gesture (mandatory API 34+) — use OnBackPressedCallback, avoid intercepting system back.

Core Patterns

• •Single-activity architecture with Navigation Compose.
• •Nested navigation graphs per feature module.
• •Feature modules expose route contracts (data class/object), not composables.
• •Use conditional navigation (auth gates) at the NavHost level.
• •Pass results between destinations via SavedStateHandle, not shared ViewModels.
• •Test navigation with TestNavHostController.
• •Use shared element transitions (Navigation 2.8+) for visual continuity.

References

• •references/deep_links.md
• •references/app_links.md
• •references/navigation_patterns.md
• •references/navigation_testing.md
• •references/predictive_back.md
• •references/transitions_animations.md