Documentation

Everything you need to know about using Compose HotSwan.

Why HotSwan

Why build times, lost state, and hard to reach screens make hot reload essential for Android development.

How It Works

The complete pipeline from file save to UI update. Learn what happens at each step when you hot reload your code.

Requirements

Platform and tooling requirements, with explanations of why each one is needed.

Supported Changes

Every type of code change you can hot reload: composable bodies, non-composable functions, resources, and more.

State Preservation

How your app state survives each reload through the three tier invalidation chain.

Gradle Configuration

Full setup guide, auto-configuration details, and every compiler plugin option explained.

Kotlin Multiplatform

How to set up hot reload in a KMP project. Apply HotSwan to the Android module and hot reload shared code on device.

Multi-Device Hot Reloading

Hot reload to multiple devices at the same time. Edit once, see changes on phone, tablet, and emulator simultaneously.

Screenshot Snapshot

Capture device screenshots on every hot reload. Browse visual history, time-travel through code, and export reports.

Hot Reload with AI

Use AI coding tools like Claude and Cursor with HotSwan. See your AI-generated code changes reflected on device in real time.

MCP Server

Connect any AI assistant to your running app via the Model Context Protocol. Trigger reloads, capture screenshots, and explore design variants with natural language.

Agent Skill

Ready-to-use instructions for AI coding tools. Copy the HotSwan skill into AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, or .cursorrules.

Limitations

What cannot be hot reloaded and why. How HotSwan detects these changes and falls back automatically.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions. Diagnose module errors, version mismatches, device detection, and more.