TopAppBar flashing when navigating with Compose Navigation

Question

I have 2 screens which both have their own Scaffold and TopAppBar. When I navigate between them using the Jetpack Navigation Compose library, the app bar flashes. Why does it happen and how can I get rid of this?

Code:

Navigation:

@Composable
fun TodoNavHost(
    navController: NavHostController,
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier
) {
    NavHost(
        navController = navController,
        startDestination = TodoScreen.TodoList.name,
        modifier = modifier
    ) {
        composable(TodoScreen.TodoList.name) {
            TodoListScreen(
                onTodoEditClicked = { todo ->
                    navController.navigate("${TodoScreen.AddEditTodo.name}?todoId=${todo.id}")
                },
                onFabAddNewTodoClicked = {
                    navController.navigate(TodoScreen.AddEditTodo.name)
                }
            )
        }
        composable(
            "${TodoScreen.AddEditTodo.name}?todoId={todoId}", 
            arguments = listOf(
                navArgument("todoId") {
                    type = NavType.LongType
                    defaultValue = -1L
                }
            )
        ) {
            AddEditTodoScreen(
                onNavigateUp = {
                    navController.popBackStack() 
                },
                onNavigateBackWithResult = { result ->
                    navController.navigate(TodoScreen.TodoList.name)
                }
            )
        }
    }
}

Todo list screen Scaffold with TopAppBar:

@Composable
fun TodoListBody(
    todos: List<Todo>,
    todoExpandedStates: Map<Long, Boolean>,
    onTodoItemClicked: (Todo) -> Unit,
    onTodoCheckedChanged: (Todo, Boolean) -> Unit,
    onTodoEditClicked: (Todo) -> Unit,
    onFabAddNewTodoClicked: () -> Unit,
    onDeleteAllCompletedConfirmed: () -> Unit,
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
    errorSnackbarMessage: String = "",
    errorSnackbarShown: Boolean = false
) {

    var menuExpanded by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
    var showDeleteAllCompletedConfirmationDialog by rememberSaveable { mutableStateOf(false) }

    Scaffold(
        modifier,
        topBar = {
            TopAppBar(
                title = { Text("My Todos") },
                actions = {
                    IconButton(
                        onClick = { menuExpanded = !menuExpanded },
                        modifier = Modifier.semantics {
                            contentDescription = "Options Menu"
                        }
                    ) {
                        Icon(Icons.Default.MoreVert, contentDescription = "Show menu")
                    }
                    DropdownMenu(
                        expanded = menuExpanded,
                        onDismissRequest = { menuExpanded = false }) {
                        DropdownMenuItem(
                            onClick = {
                                showDeleteAllCompletedConfirmationDialog = true
                                menuExpanded = false
                            },
                            modifier = Modifier.semantics {
                                contentDescription = "Option Delete All Completed"
                            }) {
                            Text("Delete all completed")
                        }
                    }
                }

            )
        },
[...]

Add/edit screen Scaffold with TopAppBar:

@Composable
fun AddEditTodoBody(
    todo: Todo?,
    todoTitle: String,
    setTitle: (String) -> Unit,
    todoImportance: Boolean,
    setImportance: (Boolean) -> Unit,
    onSaveClick: () -> Unit,
    onNavigateUp: () -> Unit,
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier
) {
    Scaffold(
        modifier,
        topBar = {
            TopAppBar(
                title = { Text(todo?.let { "Edit Todo" } ?: "Add Todo") },
                actions = {
                    IconButton(onClick = onSaveClick) {
                        Icon(Icons.Default.Save, contentDescription = "Save Todo")
                    }
                },
                navigationIcon = {
                    IconButton(onClick = onNavigateUp) {
                        Icon(Icons.Default.ArrowBack, contentDescription = "Back")
                    }
                }
            )
        },
    ) { innerPadding ->
        BodyContent(
            todoTitle = todoTitle,
            setTitle = setTitle,
            todoImportance = todoImportance,
            setImportance = setImportance,
            modifier = Modifier.padding(innerPadding)
        )
    }
}

Answer 1

The flashing is caused by the default cross-fade animation in more recent versions of the navigation-compose library. The only way to get rid of it right now (without downgrading the dependency) is by using the Accompanist animation library:

implementation "com.google.accompanist:accompanist-navigation-animation:0.20.0"

And then replace the normal NavHost with Accompanist's AnimatedNavHost, replace rememberNavController() with rememberAnimatedNavController() and disable the transitions animations:

AnimatedNavHost(
        navController = navController,
        startDestination = bottomNavDestinations[0].fullRoute,
        enterTransition = { _, _ -> EnterTransition.None },
        exitTransition = { _, _ -> ExitTransition.None },
        popEnterTransition = { _, _ -> EnterTransition.None },
        popExitTransition = { _, _ -> ExitTransition.None },
        modifier = modifier,
    ) {
        [...}
    }

Answer 2

I think I found an easy solution for that issue (works on Compose version 1.4.0).

My setup - blinking

All of my screens have their own toolbar wrapped in the scaffold:

// Some Composable screnn

Scaffold(
    topBar = { TopAppBar(...) }
) {
    ScreenContent()
}

Main activity which holds the nav host is defined like that:

// Activity with NavHost

setContent {
    AppTheme {
        NavHost(...) { }
    }
}

Solution - no blinking!

Wrap you NavHost in activity in a Surface:

setContent {
    AppTheme {
        Surface {
            NavHost(...) { }
        }
    }
}

Rest of the screens stay the same. No blinking and transition animation between destinations is almost the same like it was with fragments (subtle fade in/fade out). So far I haven't found any negative side effects of that.

Answer 3

It is the expected behaviour. You are constructing two separate app bars for both the screens so they are bound to flash. This is not the correct way. The correct way would be to actually put the scaffold in your main activity and place the NavHost as it's content. If you wish to modify the app bar, create variables to hold state. Then modify them from the Composables. Ideally, store then in a viewmodel. That is how it is done in compose. Through variables.

Thanks

Answer 4

I got the same issue having a "scaffold-per-screen" architecture. What helped, to my surprise, was lowering androidx.navigation:navigation-compose version to 2.4.0-alpha04.

Answer 5

With the newer library implementation "com.google.accompanist:accompanist-navigation-animation:0.24.1-alpha" you need to have the AnimatedNavHost like this

AnimatedNavHost(
            navController = navController,
            startDestination = BottomNavDestinations.TimerScreen.route,
            enterTransition = { EnterTransition.None },
            exitTransition = { ExitTransition.None },
            popEnterTransition = { EnterTransition.None },
            popExitTransition = { ExitTransition.None },
            modifier = Modifier.padding(innerPadding)

Also

Replace rememberNavController() with rememberAnimatedNavController()

Replace NavHost with AnimatedNavHost

Replace import androidx.navigation.compose.navigation with import com.google.accompanist.navigation.animation.navigation

Replace import androidx.navigation.compose.composable with import com.google.accompanist.navigation.animation.composable

Answer 6

In order not to blink (or to slide if you have AnimatedNavHost) you should put the TopAppBar in the activity and outside the NavHost, otherwise the TopAppBar is just part of the screen and makes transitions like every other screen element:

// Activity with your navigation host
setContent {
    MyAppTheme {
        Scaffold(
            topBar = { TopAppBar(...) }
        ) { padding ->
            TodoNavHost(padding, ...) { }
        }
    }
}

From the Scaffold containing the TopAppBar comes the padding parameter, that you should pass to the NavHost and use it in the screen like you have done in your example

Answer 7

Alternative to removing Animation you can change animations for example:

@Composable
private fun ScreenContent() {
    val navController = rememberAnimatedNavController()
    val springSpec = spring<IntOffset>(dampingRatio = Spring.DampingRatioMediumBouncy)
    val tweenSpec = tween<IntOffset>(durationMillis = 2000, easing = CubicBezierEasing(0.08f, 0.93f, 0.68f, 1.27f))
    ...
    ) { innerPadding ->
        AnimatedNavHost(
            navController = navController,
            startDestination = BottomNavDestinations.TimerScreen.route,
            enterTransition = { slideInHorizontally(initialOffsetX = { 1000 }, animationSpec = springSpec) },
            exitTransition = { slideOutHorizontally(targetOffsetX = { -1000 }, animationSpec = springSpec) },
            popEnterTransition = { slideInHorizontally(initialOffsetX = { 1000 }, animationSpec = tweenSpec) },
            popExitTransition = { slideOutHorizontally(targetOffsetX = { -1000 }, animationSpec = tweenSpec) },
            modifier = Modifier.padding(innerPadding)
    ) {}