automation

Compose Hot Reload: Instant UI Updates

Name: Compose Hot Reload: Instant UI Updates
Author: JetBrains

See UI changes in real time with Compose Hot Reload. For founders building Compose Multiplatform apps, backed by 1.4k+ GitHub stars.

1,414 stars44 forksKotlinHealth Score 9/10Updated 8/16/2026100% free · open source

What it does

Compose Hot Reload allows you to see UI changes in real time in your Compose Multiplatform application without requiring restarts

Install / run

Clone the repository from https://github.com/JetBrains/compose-hot-reload and follow the project's setup instructions

When to use it

•When building and testing UI components in a Compose Multiplatform app
•During iterative design and development phases where rapid feedback is needed
•When debugging layout or visual issues in a Compose-based UI

Quick start

1Add the Compose Hot Reload plugin to your JetBrains IDE
2Create a new Compose Multiplatform project or open an existing one
3Configure your project to use the JetBrains Runtime
4Run your application with Compose Hot Reload enabled
5Make changes to your UI code and observe the results in real time

Ready-to-paste prompt

Run your Compose Multiplatform application with Compose Hot Reload by executing the command specified in the project's README, typically involving running the application on the JetBrains Runtime

Heads up: Ensure you are using a compatible version of the JetBrains Runtime, as Compose Hot Reload relies on specific features and APIs only available in supported versions

Saves to your device

Topics

compose

compose-desktop

compose-hot-reload

compose-multiplatform

firework

hot-reload

kotlin

How Compose Hot Reload: Instant UI Updates works

Codeflow

Free to inspect

Compose Hot Reload: Instant UI Updates is a large Kotlin project (~31k lines across 376 code files, plus 222 test files). It is a full software project: use it through its install path rather than reading it end to end. Last commit this month, Apache-2.0 license, has a test suite.

Size

Large codebase

~31k lines · 376 code files · ~4 h to skim

Setup

Developer setup

A real software project. Use it via its install path; don't expect to read it all.

Runs on

Java/JVM

No API keys detected

Kotlin 100%

Where to start reading

1
README.md
Start here — what it does and how to install it
2
CLAUDE.md
The instructions the AI actually follows
3
samples/bytecode-analyzer/build.gradle.kts
A worked example — copy this to get going

What's in each folder

samples/Examples you can copy36 files

docs/Documentation1 files

gradle/Folder276 files

hot-reload-test/Folder147 files

hot-reload-devtools/Folder97 files

hot-reload-analysis/Folder95 files

hot-reload-core/Folder81 files

hot-reload-orchestration/Folder65 files