Since Android launched in 2008, developers have built using its Views UI framework. It became one of the pillars of Google’s cross-platform ecosystem. So, when its alternative Jetpack Compose arrived in 2021, the transition was understandably sluggish.
At Google I/O 2026, the company reaffirmed its switch to Jetpack Compose, announcing that Views will go into maintenance mode. This means Views will no longer receive new features, ensuring that the future will be built using AI-assisted Jetpack Compose instead.
Jetpack Compose Is a Priority Now
Since Jetpack Compose entered the scene, Android has been spinning two plates to keep new and legacy developers satisfied. Having given legacy devs ample warning, they’ve now made it clear that Views has gone into maintenance mode, effective immediately.
As stated, this new Compose-first focus is all about UI, but it’s part of a wider rollout of generative AI that will live or die based on the interface it presents to users. UI devs need to showcase a highly technical product in a simple, easily digestible format, while still allowing for personalisation. If done wrong, it could chase users away. Done right, it can inspire user retention and brand loyalty.
This is a challenge faced by virtually all software-based businesses today. It has led to the emergence of bespoke providers of focused UI design specialising in delivering a personalised experience. For example, there’s a whole branch of platforms offering services to optimise customer engagement in iGaming. Their job is to make fast, reactive UI that uses player data to reflect personalised offers and other features to keep user interest.
The Goal is Generative UI
For good reason, the last three I/O conferences have gone all-in on Google's generative AI technology. While Gemini had been the talk of the town in recent years, the 2026 conference revealed that Google is now stepping beyond Gemini’s debut phase and asking: ‘What else can benefit from gen AI?’
With this in mind, the switch from Views to Jetpack Compose is a crucial stepping stone in those AI rollout plans. It facilitates a move from the static XML files of Views to those written in reactive Kotlin code that can build and fine-tune UI and on-screen widgets in response to generative AI models. Naturally, that model will be Gemini.
The result will be generative UI. It essentially flips the workflow for developers, so instead of hand-building a screen, they’d provide requests, data, and other instructions that are generated on the backend by AI. This is only possible with a code-driven framework like Jetpack Compose.
Users Should Get a More Responsive UI
From the user’s end, apps built with Jetpack Compose should be more responsive to how you use your Android devices. While Google has been light on details so far, they have revealed the Create My Widget feature that will allow users to make custom widgets instead of choosing from pre-set options.
In time, we can expect more transparency on just how it’ll impact the user experience on Google/Android devices. Since Google I/O is their developer conference, most of the focus has been on how future Android apps will be built. As we navigate into a Compose-first ecosystem, users should start to see UI changes firsthand.
