18 KiB
Known Issues: KMP AGP 9.0 Library Migration
Comprehensive list of gotchas, limitations, and workarounds when migrating to com.android.kotlin.multiplatform.library. Based on official Android documentation and community experience.
1. BuildConfig Removed in Libraries
Problem: The BuildConfig class is not generated for KMP library modules. Code referencing BuildConfig.DEBUG, BuildConfig.VERSION_NAME, or custom buildConfigField entries will fail to compile.
Impact: High. Many libraries use BuildConfig.DEBUG for logging gates and buildConfigField for compile-time constants.
Workaround -- AppConfiguration DI Pattern:
// In commonMain
expect class AppConfiguration {
val isDebug: Boolean
val versionName: String
val apiBaseUrl: String
}
// In androidMain
actual class AppConfiguration(private val context: Context) {
actual val isDebug: Boolean = (context.applicationInfo.flags and ApplicationInfo.FLAG_DEBUGGABLE) != 0
actual val versionName: String = context.packageManager
.getPackageInfo(context.packageName, 0).versionName ?: "unknown"
actual val apiBaseUrl: String = if (isDebug) "https://dev.api.example.com" else "https://api.example.com"
}
// In iosMain
actual class AppConfiguration {
actual val isDebug: Boolean = Platform.isDebugBinary
actual val versionName: String = NSBundle.mainBundle.objectForInfoDictionaryKey("CFBundleShortVersionString") as? String ?: "unknown"
actual val apiBaseUrl: String = if (isDebug) "https://dev.api.example.com" else "https://api.example.com"
}
Inject AppConfiguration via your DI framework (Koin, kotlin-inject, manual DI).
Alternative A — BuildKonfig plugin (github.com/yshrsmz/BuildKonfig):
Generates expect/actual BuildConfig objects across all KMP targets. Supports typed fields
(String, Int, Long, Float, Boolean), target-specific overrides, and a flavor system via Gradle properties.
// build.gradle.kts
plugins {
id("com.codingfeline.buildkonfig")
}
buildkonfig {
packageName = "com.example.shared"
defaultConfigs {
buildConfigField(STRING, "API_BASE_URL", "https://api.example.com")
buildConfigField(BOOLEAN, "IS_DEBUG", "false")
buildConfigField(STRING, "VERSION_NAME", "1.0.0")
}
// Optional: target-specific overrides
targetConfigs {
create("android") {
buildConfigField(STRING, "PLATFORM", "android")
}
create("ios") {
buildConfigField(STRING, "PLATFORM", "ios")
}
}
}
Use flavors for debug/release by setting buildkonfig.flavor=dev in gradle.properties
or passing -Pbuildkonfig.flavor=release on CLI:
defaultConfigs("dev") {
buildConfigField(STRING, "API_BASE_URL", "https://dev.api.example.com")
buildConfigField(BOOLEAN, "IS_DEBUG", "true")
}
defaultConfigs("release") {
buildConfigField(STRING, "API_BASE_URL", "https://api.example.com")
buildConfigField(BOOLEAN, "IS_DEBUG", "false")
}
Alternative B — gradle-buildconfig-plugin (github.com/gmazzo/gradle-buildconfig-plugin):
More general-purpose; supports Java, Kotlin, Groovy, and KMP. Richer type support (arrays, maps,
Files, URIs). Uses expect/actual for KMP via explicit expect() calls.
// build.gradle.kts
plugins {
id("com.github.gmazzo.buildconfig")
}
buildConfig {
packageName("com.example.shared")
buildConfigField("APP_NAME", project.name)
buildConfigField("VERSION", "1.0.0")
buildConfigField("IS_DEBUG", false)
// Platform-specific fields using expect/actual
buildConfigField("PLATFORM", expect<String>())
}
// In source set configurations:
sourceSets.named("androidMain") {
buildConfigField("PLATFORM", "android")
}
sourceSets.named("iosMain") {
buildConfigField("PLATFORM", "ios")
}
Important limitation: Neither plugin replaces Android build variants fully. They provide compile-time constants only. Build type-specific dependencies, resources, source sets, signing configs, and minification settings must be handled in the application module (which still supports variants) or via runtime configuration.
2. NDK / JNI Unsupported
Problem: The KMP library plugin does not support externalNativeBuild, ndkVersion, or JNI source compilation. Modules that use C/C++ native code via NDK cannot be migrated directly.
Impact: Medium. Affects modules with native image processing, crypto, or media libraries.
Workaround -- Proxy Interface Pattern:
Keep the JNI module as a classic com.android.library module and have the KMP module depend on it:
jni-bridge/ # com.android.library (AGP 8.x compatible in AGP 9.0)
build.gradle.kts
src/main/jni/ # C/C++ sources
src/main/kotlin/ # JNI bindings
shared/ # com.android.kotlin.multiplatform.library
build.gradle.kts
// shared/build.gradle.kts
kotlin {
sourceSets {
androidMain.dependencies {
implementation(project(":jni-bridge"))
}
}
}
Define an interface in commonMain and implement it in androidMain by delegating to the JNI bridge.
3. No Build Variants
Problem: The KMP library plugin produces a single build variant. There are no debug/release build types and no product flavors. Code that depends on variant-specific behavior, resources, or dependencies must be restructured.
Impact: High. Affects projects using flavor-specific dependencies, resources, or source sets.
Workaround -- Single Variant Architecture:
- Move all variant-dependent logic to the application module (which still supports variants).
- Use runtime configuration instead of compile-time variants.
- Use
expect/actualwith different actual implementations selected by DI based on runtime config. - For library-specific debug/release behavior, use the
AppConfigurationpattern from issue 1. - For compile-time constants that vary by build flavor, use BuildKonfig or gradle-buildconfig-plugin (see issue 1 alternatives). These provide a flavor-like system for KMP but do NOT replace variant-specific dependencies, resources, signing, or minification.
4. Compose Resources Require Explicit Enable
Problem: Android resources (res/ directory) are not processed by default with the KMP library plugin. If you forget to enable them, resource references (R.string.*, R.drawable.*) will fail to resolve. This is tracked as CMP-9547.
Impact: High. Silent failure -- resources are simply ignored without an error until you try to reference them.
Fix:
kotlin {
android {
androidResources { enable = true }
}
}
Note: This is separate from Compose Multiplatform resources (composeResources/), which are handled by the compose resources plugin and do not need this flag.
5. Consumer ProGuard Rules Silently Dropped
Problem: If you had consumerProguardFiles in the old android { defaultConfig {} } block and did not migrate it to the new DSL location, the rules are silently ignored. No warning is emitted.
Impact: Medium. Can cause runtime crashes in release builds of consuming applications.
Fix:
// Old (silently ignored)
android {
defaultConfig {
consumerProguardFiles("consumer-rules.pro")
}
}
// New
kotlin {
android {
consumerProguardFiles.add(file("consumer-rules.pro"))
}
}
6. Convention Plugin Refactoring Needed
Problem: Build-logic convention plugins that apply com.android.library and configure the LibraryExtension must be rewritten to use the KMP library plugin and KotlinMultiplatformExtension.
Impact: Medium to High for projects with extensive build-logic modules.
Key Changes:
// Old
import com.android.build.gradle.LibraryExtension
class MyConventionPlugin : Plugin<Project> {
override fun apply(target: Project) {
target.pluginManager.apply("com.android.library")
target.extensions.configure<LibraryExtension> {
compileSdk = 34
defaultConfig.minSdk = 24
}
}
}
// New
import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.dsl.KotlinMultiplatformExtension
class MyConventionPlugin : Plugin<Project> {
override fun apply(target: Project) {
target.pluginManager.apply("org.jetbrains.kotlin.multiplatform")
target.pluginManager.apply("com.android.kotlin.multiplatform.library")
target.extensions.configure<KotlinMultiplatformExtension> {
android {
compileSdk = 35
minSdk = 24
}
}
}
}
7. Renamed test source sets
Problem: The source set androidUnitTest is renamed to androidHostTest. The source set androidInstrumentedTest is renamed to androidDeviceTest. The old names still work as aliases but are deprecated.
Impact: Low. Aliases provide backward compatibility, but you should rename for clarity.
Action Items:
- Rename
src/androidUnitTest/tosrc/androidHostTest/ - Rename
src/androidInstrumentedTest/tosrc/androidDeviceTest/ - Update
sourceSetsreferences inbuild.gradle.kts - Update CI scripts that reference the old directory names
8. Lint useK2Uast Deprecated
Problem: The lint { useK2Uast = true } option is deprecated. With KGP 2.0+ and AGP 9.0, K2 UAST is the default and only implementation.
Impact: Low. Build warning only.
Fix: Remove the line:
// Remove this
lint {
useK2Uast = true // DELETE
}
9. Packaging Exclusions Syntax Change
Problem: The packaging exclusions DSL has a subtle syntax difference. The old brace-expansion syntax may not work correctly.
Impact: Low. Build may fail or produce unexpected results.
Fix:
// Old (may not work correctly in AGP 9.0)
packaging {
resources {
excludes += "/META-INF/{AL2.0,LGPL2.1}"
}
}
// New (explicit entries)
packaging {
resources {
excludes.add("/META-INF/AL2.0")
excludes.add("/META-INF/LGPL2.1")
}
}
10. Static BuildConfig.DEBUG for Tree-Shaking No Longer Available
Problem: In classic Android libraries, BuildConfig.DEBUG was a static final boolean that the compiler could use for dead-code elimination (tree-shaking). Without BuildConfig in KMP libraries, this optimization path is lost.
Impact: Low to Medium. Debug-only code paths may be included in release builds.
Workaround:
Use R8 rules in the application module to remove debug code:
# In the app module's proguard-rules.pro
-assumenosideeffects class com.example.shared.AppConfiguration {
boolean isDebug() return false;
}
Or use compile-time constants from the application module passed via DI.
11. android.builtInKotlin=false (Temporary Opt-Out)
Problem: AGP 9.0 bundles Kotlin compilation for com.android.application modules, meaning you should NOT apply the kotlin-android plugin separately. If you have tooling or plugins that conflict with the built-in Kotlin support, you can temporarily disable it.
Temporary Workaround:
# gradle.properties
android.builtInKotlin=false
Warning: This flag is temporary and will be removed in a future AGP version. Use it only to unblock migration while you fix plugin conflicts.
When you need this:
- You have custom Kotlin compiler plugin configurations that conflict with AGP's built-in setup
- A third-party Gradle plugin explicitly applies
kotlin-androidand conflicts
12. IDE Support Matrix
| IDE | KMP Library Plugin Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Android Studio Otter 3 (2025.2.3) | Full | First version with full AGP 9.0 support |
| Android Studio Narwhal (2025.1) | Partial | Can build but limited code insight for new DSL |
| Android Studio Meerkat (2024.3) | None | Does not recognize the KMP library plugin |
| IntelliJ IDEA | Not supported | Does not support AGP 9.0 as of 2025.3, use Android Studio |
Recommended IDE Setup
- Use Android Studio Otter 3 or later. This is currently the only IDE with full AGP 9.0 + KMP library plugin support.
- IntelliJ IDEA does not support AGP 9.0 — even with the Android plugin installed, project sync and build integration will not work correctly. If the project uses IntelliJ IDEA, recommend switching to Android Studio for Android/KMP development.
- Ensure the Kotlin plugin in your IDE matches the KGP version in your project.
13. kapt Incompatible with Built-in Kotlin
Problem: The org.jetbrains.kotlin.kapt plugin is incompatible with AGP 9.0's built-in Kotlin support. Applying both causes a build failure.
Impact: High. Many projects still use kapt for annotation processing
Workaround:
Preferred: Migrate to KSP (Kotlin Symbol Processing). Most annotation processors now support KSP.
Fallback: Replace with com.android.legacy-kapt (versioned with AGP):
# gradle/libs.versions.toml
[plugins]
legacy-kapt = { id = "com.android.legacy-kapt", version.ref = "agp" }
// Module build.gradle.kts
plugins {
// REMOVE: alias(libs.plugins.kotlin.kapt)
alias(libs.plugins.legacy.kapt)
}
14. New DSL Interfaces (BaseExtension Removed)
Problem: AGP 9.0 exclusively uses new public DSL interfaces. The old BaseExtension, AppExtension, LibraryExtension types from com.android.build.gradle are removed. Build logic or convention plugins casting to these types will fail with ClassCastException.
Impact: High for projects with custom build logic or convention plugins.
Error message:
java.lang.ClassCastException: class com.android.build.gradle.internal.dsl.ApplicationExtensionImpl$AgpDecorated_Decorated
cannot be cast to class com.android.build.gradle.BaseExtension
Fix:
// Old
import com.android.build.gradle.BaseExtension
val ext = extensions.getByType(BaseExtension::class)
// New
import com.android.build.api.dsl.CommonExtension
val ext = extensions.getByType(CommonExtension::class)
Temporary opt-out: android.newDsl=false in gradle.properties (removed in AGP 10.0).
15. Deprecated Variant APIs Removed
Problem: The following APIs are removed in AGP 9.0: applicationVariants, libraryVariants, testVariants, unitTestVariants, variantFilter. Build scripts or plugins using these will fail.
Impact: Medium-High. Affects custom build logic and many third-party plugins.
Fix:
// Old
android {
applicationVariants.all { variant ->
variant.signingConfig.enableV1Signing = false
}
}
// New
androidComponents {
onVariants { variant ->
variant.signingConfig.enableV1Signing.set(false)
}
}
Replace variantFilter with androidComponents.beforeVariants().
16. R8 and ProGuard Rule Changes
Problem: AGP 9.0 changes several R8 defaults:
android.r8.strictFullModeForKeepRules=true— keep rules no longer implicitly keep default constructorsandroid.r8.proguardAndroidTxt.disallowed=true— onlyproguard-android-optimize.txtis supportedandroid.r8.globalOptionsInConsumerRules.disallowed=true— library consumer rules cannot contain global options (like-dontobfuscate)- Keep rules no longer propagate to synthesized companion methods
Impact: Medium. Release builds may crash or behave differently without rule updates.
Fix:
- Review all ProGuard/R8 keep rules; add explicit rules for default constructors if needed
- Switch to
proguard-android-optimize.txtingetDefaultProguardFile() - Remove global options (
-dontobfuscate,-dontoptimize) from library consumer rules - New option:
-processkotlinnullchecks keep|remove_message|removeto control Kotlin null checks
17. Removed Features
Problem: Several features are removed in AGP 9.0 with no replacement:
- Embedded Wear OS app support —
wearAppconfigurations removed - Density split APK — use app bundles instead
androidDependenciesandsourceSetsreport tasks — removeddexOptionsDSL — removed (d8 handles this automatically)- RenderScript — disabled by default, enable per-module if needed:
buildFeatures { renderScript = true } - AIDL — disabled by default, enable per-module if needed:
buildFeatures { aidl = true }
Impact: Low-Medium. Only affects projects using these specific features.
18. R Class Non-Final in Application Modules
Problem: AGP 9.0 makes R class fields compile-time non-final in application modules (android.enableAppCompileTimeRClass=true is now default). Code using switch statements on R class fields (like R.id.some_view) will fail to compile because switch requires compile-time constants.
Impact: Medium. Common in older Java codebases using switch(view.getId()).
Fix: Refactor switch statements to if/else:
// Old (fails with AGP 9.0)
switch (view.getId()) {
case R.id.button1: // ...
case R.id.button2: // ...
}
// New
int id = view.getId();
if (id == R.id.button1) { /* ... */ }
else if (id == R.id.button2) { /* ... */ }
19. targetSdk Defaults to compileSdk
Problem: AGP 9.0 changes targetSdk to default to compileSdk when not explicitly set (previously defaulted to minSdk). This can silently change app behavior if targetSdk was intentionally unset.
Impact: Medium. May trigger new runtime behavior changes associated with higher API levels.
Fix: Explicitly set targetSdk in all application modules:
android {
defaultConfig {
targetSdk = 35 // Set explicitly
}
}
20. Third-Party Plugin Compatibility
Problem: Many third-party Gradle plugins are incompatible with AGP 9.0 due to removed variant APIs, new DSL interfaces, or built-in Kotlin conflicts. See the main SKILL.md "Plugin Compatibility" section for the full compatibility table.
Impact: High. Can completely block migration.
Key plugins requiring opt-out flags:
- detekt < 2.0.0, ktlint, SQLDelight, Paparazzi, protobuf — see SKILL.md for specific flags