Roadmap/Android Networking
Intermediate

Android Networking

Master networking concepts and implementation in Android development from basics to advanced techniques

12-14 weeks
8.7k students
4.7 rating
Progress0/82 lessons

Key Topics You'll Master

1
Networking Fundamentals
2
HTTP Client Libraries
3
Retrofit Mastery
4
Asynchronous Programming
5
Error Handling and Logging
6
Authentication and Security
7
Caching and Offline Support
8
Real-time Communication
9
GraphQL Integration
10
Performance Optimization
11
Testing Network Code
+0
more...
Learning Outcomes
  • Implement REST API integration with Retrofit
  • Handle network security and authentication
  • Build offline-first applications with caching
  • Implement real-time communication with WebSockets
  • Optimize network performance and handle errors gracefully
  • Use modern networking libraries and best practices
  • Implement GraphQL clients
  • Handle file uploads and downloads efficiently
Prerequisites
  • Basic Android development knowledge
  • Understanding of Kotlin/Java
  • Familiarity with Android Studio
  • Basic understanding of HTTP protocol
  • Knowledge of JSON format
1
Networking Fundamentals
Core networking concepts, HTTP protocol, and Android networking basics
2 weeks
HTTP Protocol Basics
video • 25 min
REST API Principles
video • 30 min
Postman Crash Course: Methods (GET/POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE), headers, bodies, auth, collections
video • 18 min
JSON and XML Data Formats
article • 15 min
Android Networking Overview
video • 20 min
Network Permissions and Manifest
article • 10 min
Practice: Basic HTTP Request (mirror your Postman call in OkHttp)
exercise • 45 min
2
HTTP Client Libraries
Learn different HTTP client libraries and when to use them
1.5 weeks
HttpURLConnection Overview
video • 20 min
OkHttp Client Introduction
video • 25 min
Volley Library Basics
video • 22 min
Choosing the Right HTTP Client
article • 12 min
Practice: Implementing Different Clients
exercise • 40 min
3
Retrofit Mastery
Master Retrofit - the most popular networking library for Android
2 weeks
Retrofit Setup and Configuration
video • 18 min
Creating API Interfaces
video • 22 min
Retrofit Annotations Deep Dive
video • 28 min
Converters: Gson vs Kotlinx Serialization (pick + configure)
video • 20 min
Query Params, Path, Headers (incl. interceptors)
video • 15 min
Multipart Requests & File Uploads
video • 22 min
Upload/Download Progress with Okio (streaming, progress callbacks)
video • 16 min
Multiple Base URLs: 3 strategies (multi-Retrofit, dynamic @Url, interceptor URL-rewrite) + pros/cons
video • 16 min
Custom Converters and Call Adapters
article • 18 min
Practice: Build a client hitting 2 base URLs + upload with progress
exercise • 60 min
4
Asynchronous Programming
Handle network calls asynchronously using various approaches
1.5 weeks
AsyncTask (Legacy Approach)
video • 20 min
RxJava with Retrofit
video • 35 min
Kotlin Coroutines for Networking
video • 30 min
LiveData and Repository Pattern
video • 25 min
CompletableFuture Integration
article • 15 min
Practice: Async Network Implementation
exercise • 45 min
5
Error Handling and Logging
Implement robust error handling and network request logging
1 week
HTTP Status Codes and Error Types
video • 18 min
Retrofit Error Handling
video • 22 min
Network Logging with Interceptors
video • 20 min
Custom Exception Handling
video • 15 min
User-Friendly Error Messages
article • 12 min
Practice: Error Handling Implementation
exercise • 35 min
6
Authentication and Security
Implement secure authentication and protect network communications
2 weeks
API Key Authentication (and why not hard-code)
video • 15 min
Bearer Token Authentication (Authorization header)
video • 18 min
OAuth 2.0 on Mobile: Auth Code + PKCE (concepts & flow)
video • 22 min
JWT Basics: structure, claims, clock skew, expiry
video • 18 min
Access/Refresh Lifecycle: OkHttp Authenticator, 401 retry, token rotation & backoff
video • 22 min
Certificate Pinning & Network Security Config
video • 20 min
Secure Storage: EncryptedSharedPreferences / Keystore
video • 18 min
Best Practices: rate limits, idempotency keys, replay protection
article • 12 min
Practice: Secure Auth Flow with auto-refresh
exercise • 50 min
7
Caching and Offline Support
Implement caching strategies and offline-first architecture
2 weeks
HTTP Caching Headers
video • 20 min
OkHttp Cache Implementation
video • 25 min
Room Database for Offline Storage
video • 30 min
Cache-First vs Network-First Strategies
video • 22 min
Repository Pattern for Data Management
video • 28 min
Offline Sync Mechanisms
video • 25 min
Cache Invalidation Strategies
article • 15 min
Practice: Offline-First App
exercise • 75 min
8
Real-time Communication
Implement WebSockets, Server-Sent Events, and push notifications
1.5 weeks
WebSocket Protocol Overview
video • 18 min
OkHttp WebSocket Implementation
video • 25 min
Socket.IO for Android
video • 22 min
Server-Sent Events (SSE)
video • 20 min
Firebase Cloud Messaging
video • 30 min
Practice: Real-time Chat App
exercise • 60 min
9
GraphQL Integration
Learn GraphQL concepts and implement GraphQL clients in Android
1.5 weeks
GraphQL vs REST Comparison
video • 15 min
Apollo Android Client Setup
video • 25 min
Writing GraphQL Queries and Mutations
video • 30 min
GraphQL Subscriptions
video • 22 min
Caching with Apollo Client
video • 20 min
Practice: GraphQL Client Implementation
exercise • 45 min
10
Performance Optimization
Optimize network performance, reduce bandwidth usage, and improve user experience
1.5 weeks
Network Performance Metrics
video • 18 min
Request Deduplication & caching layers
video • 15 min
OkHttp Connection Pooling, Keep-Alive & HTTP/2 multiplexing
video • 20 min
Image Loading Optimization (Coil/Glide + caching hints)
video • 25 min
Network Monitoring & Profiling (Profiler, logging)
video • 22 min
Bandwidth-Aware Loading (metered networks, quality tiers)
article • 12 min
Practice: Perf pass on an existing client
exercise • 40 min
11
Testing Network Code
Unit testing, integration testing, and mocking network calls
1 week
MockWebServer for Testing
video • 25 min
Retrofit Testing Strategies
video • 20 min
Network Layer Unit Tests
video • 22 min
Integration Testing with Espresso
video • 18 min
Mocking Network Responses
article • 15 min
Practice: Testing Network Implementation
exercise • 45 min
12
Advanced Topics and Best Practices
Advanced networking concepts, architecture patterns, and industry best practices
1 week
Network Architecture Patterns
video • 25 min
Dependency Injection with Networking
video • 20 min
Network Security Auditing
video • 18 min
Performance Monitoring in Production
video • 15 min
Networking Best Practices Checklist
article • 20 min
Final Project: Complete Networking Solution
exercise • 90 min