Roadmap/Android System Design
Intermediate to Advanced

Android System Design

Design scalable, reliable, and high-performance Android apps—from OS internals and concurrency to modular architecture, offline sync, performance, security, and real-world case studies.

30 weeks (Structured: ~1 module/week)
9.6k students
4.8 rating
Progress0/177 lessons

Key Topics You'll Master

1
Android Architecture Fundamentals
2
Core Android Components Deep Dive
3
Threading & Concurrency
4
Architecture Patterns
5
Modern Android Architecture Components
6
State Management
7
Network Architecture
8
Caching Strategies
9
Data Synchronization
10
Memory Management
11
Performance Optimization
+18
more...
Learning Outcomes
  • Explain Android internals (Binder, Zygote, ART) and lifecycle with confidence
  • Architect scalable apps with Clean Architecture, MVVM/MVI, and modularization
  • Design robust networking, caching, and offline-first systems with conflict resolution
  • Profile and optimize memory, startup, rendering, network, and battery usage
  • Apply security best practices (Keystore, encryption, Play Integrity)
  • Build production pipelines with CI/CD, monitoring, crash/ANR analysis
  • Solve end-to-end system design scenarios and succeed in interviews
Prerequisites
  • Solid understanding of Kotlin
  • Hands-on Android development experience
  • Familiarity with Jetpack components (ViewModel, Room, Navigation)
  • Basic knowledge of networking (HTTP/REST) and databases
  • Comfort with Android Studio and Gradle
1
Android Architecture Fundamentals
Android OS layers, processes, memory, IPC, Zygote, and ART vs Dalvik.
1 week
Android OS Architecture (Kernel → HAL → Framework → Apps)
article • 30 min
Process & Application Lifecycle Deep Dive
video • 25 min
Memory Management & GC on Android
video • 25 min
Binder IPC: Concepts & Performance
article • 30 min
Zygote & App Spawn Mechanics
video • 20 min
ART vs Dalvik: A Practical Comparison
article • 20 min
Exercise: Trace a Process Start with adb/systrace
exercise • 45 min
2
Core Android Components Deep Dive
Activities, Fragments, Services, BroadcastReceivers, ContentProviders, and intents.
1 week
Activity & Fragment Lifecycles: Edge Cases
video • 30 min
Service Types & Foreground Rules
article • 25 min
BroadcastReceiver Patterns & Security
article • 20 min
ContentProviders: Contracts & IPC
video • 25 min
Intent System & Deep Links Architecture
video • 20 min
Exercise: Build a Share-Target Flow
exercise • 45 min
3
Threading & Concurrency
Main thread rules, Handler/Looper, coroutines, Rx/Flow, executors, WorkManager.
1 week
Main Thread & MessageQueue Internals
article • 25 min
Handler/Looper Basics to Internals
video • 25 min
Kotlin Coroutines: Scopes, Contexts, Jobs
video • 30 min
Flow/Rx Patterns & Backpressure
article • 25 min
Executors & ThreadPool Tuning
article • 20 min
WorkManager for Deferrable Work
video • 20 min
Exercise: Replace AsyncTask with Coroutines
exercise • 50 min
4
Architecture Patterns
MVC, MVP, MVVM, MVI, UDF, repositories, use cases, and DI trade-offs.
1 week
Patterns Tour: MVC → MVP → MVVM → MVI
video • 30 min
Unidirectional Data Flow & State Modeling
article • 25 min
Repositories & Use Cases: Boundaries
article • 20 min
DI Choices: Dagger/Hilt/Koin
video • 25 min
Exercise: Refactor to MVVM + Use Cases
exercise • 60 min
5
Modern Android Architecture Components
ViewModel, LiveData vs StateFlow, Room, Navigation, Paging, DataStore, App Startup.
1 week
ViewModel & SavedStateHandle Internals
video • 25 min
LiveData vs StateFlow/SharedFlow
article • 25 min
Room Architecture & Migrations
video • 25 min
Navigation & Paging 3 in Practice
video • 25 min
DataStore (Preferences & Proto)
article • 20 min
App Startup & Lazy Init
article • 15 min
Exercise: Paging + Room Integration
exercise • 50 min
6
State Management
SSOT, state hoisting, UDF, sealed state, process death, and Compose state.
1 week
Single Source of Truth & Hoisting
article • 25 min
Modeling UI State with Sealed Classes
video • 20 min
Handling Process Death with SavedState
article • 20 min
Compose State & Side-Effects Overview
video • 25 min
Exercise: UDF State Store in a Feature
exercise • 45 min
7
Network Architecture
REST design, Retrofit/OkHttp tuning, GraphQL, WebSockets, gRPC, TLS/pinning.
1 week
API Design: Resources, Pagination, Errors
article • 25 min
OkHttp/Retrofit: Interceptors & Caching
video • 25 min
GraphQL & Apollo Basics
video • 20 min
WebSockets & Real-time Channels
article • 20 min
gRPC on Android
article • 20 min
Network Security: TLS & Pinning
video • 20 min
Exercise: Retry/Backoff/Idempotency
exercise • 50 min
8
Caching Strategies
Memory/Disk caches, HTTP caching headers, Room as cache, invalidation, offline-first.
1 week
Memory (LruCache) & Disk (DiskLruCache)
article • 25 min
HTTP Caching: ETag, Max-Age, Revalidate
video • 20 min
Room as Cache: Keys & TTL
article • 20 min
Cache Invalidation Strategies
video • 20 min
Designing Offline-First Flows
video • 25 min
Exercise: Read-Through/Write-Through Cache
exercise • 50 min
9
Data Synchronization
Delta vs full sync, conflict resolution, real-time sync, WorkManager scheduling, consistency models.
1 week
Delta Sync vs Full Sync Trade-offs
article • 25 min
Conflict Resolution Strategies
video • 25 min
Realtime Sync (Firebase/WebSockets)
video • 20 min
WorkManager: Constraints & Chaining
article • 20 min
Eventual Consistency & UX
article • 20 min
Exercise: Sync Queue with Retries
exercise • 55 min
10
Memory Management
Leak patterns, bitmaps, pooling, churn reduction, profiling with LeakCanary/Profiler.
1 week
Common Leak Patterns & Fixes
video • 25 min
Bitmap Strategies & Large Objects
article • 25 min
Object Pooling & Allocations
article • 20 min
Weak/Soft References: When/Why
video • 20 min
Memory Profiler & LeakCanary
video • 25 min
Exercise: Kill a Leak in a Feature
exercise • 50 min
11
Performance Optimization
Startup (cold/warm/hot), lazy init, layout & RecyclerView tuning, 60fps rendering, systrace.
1 week
Startup Optimization: App Startup API
video • 25 min
Layout Optimizations & Overdraw
article • 25 min
RecyclerView: DiffUtil, Prefetch, Pools
video • 25 min
Rendering Pipeline & Jank Hunting
article • 20 min
Systrace & Perf Profiling
video • 20 min
Exercise: Reduce TTI by 30%
exercise • 60 min
12
Battery & Network Optimization
Doze/App Standby, batching, compression, image formats, background work strategy.
1 week
Doze, App Standby & Background Limits
article • 25 min
Network Batching, Caching & Compression
video • 25 min
Image Optimization (WebP/Vectors)
video • 20 min
Choosing JobScheduler/WorkManager
article • 20 min
Battery Historian & Energy Profiler
video • 20 min
Exercise: Cut Background Energy by 25%
exercise • 55 min
13
App Modularization
Feature vs library modules, dynamic delivery, dependency graph, build times, multi-module nav.
1 week
Why Modularize? Boundaries & Ownership
article • 25 min
Feature Modules & Dynamic Delivery
video • 25 min
Dependency Graph & API Contracts
article • 20 min
Multi-module Navigation Patterns
video • 20 min
Exercise: Split a Monolith into 4 Modules
exercise • 60 min
14
Scalable Architecture
Microservices integration, multi-tenant concerns, feature flags, config & dynamic content.
1 week
Integrating with Microservices & Graph Layers
video • 25 min
Multi-tenancy & Theming/Branding
article • 20 min
Feature Flags & Remote Config
video • 20 min
Dynamic Content Delivery & Caches
article • 20 min
Exercise: Feature Flag Rollout Plan
exercise • 45 min
15
Code Organization
Package structures, SOLID, GOF patterns, codegen (APT/KSP), separation of concerns.
1 week
Package by Feature vs Layer
article • 20 min
Applying SOLID in Android
video • 25 min
Patterns: Factory, Builder, Strategy
article • 25 min
Annotation Processing & KSP
video • 20 min
Exercise: Extract Cross-Cutting Concerns
exercise • 45 min
16
Database Design
Advanced Room (converters, migrations, FTS, views), SQLite tuning, multi-DB strategies.
1 week
Room: Entities, DAOs, Converters
video • 25 min
Migrations, FTS & Database Views
article • 25 min
SQLite Optimization Techniques
article • 20 min
When to Consider Realm/Alt DBs
video • 20 min
Exercise: Zero-Downtime Migration
exercise • 55 min
17
Security Architecture
Encryption, Keystore, biometrics, Play Integrity, obfuscation, secure coding, OAuth/OIDC.
1 week
Android Keystore & Key Management
video • 25 min
Data at Rest/In Transit Encryption
article • 25 min
Biometric Auth & UX
video • 20 min
Play Integrity/SafetyNet Basics
article • 20 min
ProGuard/R8 & Secure Coding
video • 20 min
OAuth2/OIDC on Mobile
article • 20 min
Exercise: Secure Secrets & Tokens
exercise • 55 min
18
Media & Graphics
ExoPlayer, CameraX, image pipelines, custom views/canvas, rendering performance, AR basics.
1 week
ExoPlayer Architecture & DRM
video • 25 min
CameraX: Use Cases & Pipelines
article • 25 min
Image Loading (Glide/Coil) Internals
video • 20 min
Custom Views & Canvas Perf
article • 20 min
ARCore Primer
video • 20 min
Exercise: Adaptive Bitrate Playback
exercise • 60 min
19
Jetpack Compose System Design
Compose architecture, recomposition, side-effects, custom layouts/modifiers, performance.
1 week
Recomposition & Snapshot State
video • 25 min
State Hoisting & UDF in Compose
article • 20 min
Side-Effects (Launched/Disposable/Derived)
video • 25 min
Custom Layouts & Modifiers
article • 20 min
Compose Navigation & ViewModel
video • 20 min
Perf Tuning & Skipping
article • 20 min
Exercise: Complex Animated Screen
exercise • 60 min
20
Testing Architecture
Test pyramid, doubles, JUnit/Mockito, Espresso, Robolectric, screenshot tests, DI for tests.
1 week
Test Strategy & Pyramid
article • 20 min
Mocks/Stubs/Fakes & Hermetic Tests
video • 25 min
JUnit/Mockito/KotlinX Coroutines Test
video • 25 min
Espresso & Robolectric
article • 25 min
Screenshot Testing Basics
video • 15 min
Exercise: Testable DI Graph
exercise • 55 min
21
Designing a News Feed/Social App
Infinite scroll, interactions, realtime updates, image/video feed optimization.
1 week
Timeline/Pagination Architecture
video • 25 min
Like/Comment Systems & Consistency
article • 25 min
Realtime Updates & Diffing
article • 20 min
Media Feed Perf & Caching
video • 20 min
Exercise: Feed with Paging 3 + Cache
exercise • 60 min
22
Designing a Messaging App
Queues, E2E encryption, multi-device sync, offline storage, notifications.
1 week
Messaging Models & Ordering
article • 25 min
E2E Encryption & Key Rotation
video • 25 min
Device Sync & Conflict Handling
article • 20 min
Local Persistence & Attachments
video • 20 min
Notifications & FCM Delivery
article • 20 min
Exercise: Reliable Send/Retry/ACK
exercise • 60 min
23
Designing a Ride-Sharing App
Realtime location, maps rendering, routing, matching, geofencing, battery-aware updates.
1 week
Location Strategies & Battery Trade-offs
video • 25 min
Maps Rendering & Clustering
article • 20 min
Routing & ETAs
video • 20 min
Driver-Rider Matching
article • 20 min
Geofencing & Background Limits
video • 20 min
Exercise: Live Location Demo
exercise • 55 min
24
Designing an E-commerce App
Catalog/search, cart, payments, order tracking, inventory sync, analytics.
1 week
Catalog, Search & Facets
article • 25 min
Cart & Pricing Consistency
video • 20 min
Payments & PSP Integration
video • 20 min
Order Tracking & Notifications
article • 20 min
Inventory Sync & Anti-Fraud
article • 20 min
Exercise: Cart with Offline Support
exercise • 60 min
25
Android Platform Services
Notifications, widgets, accessibility, sharesheet, shortcuts, PiP.
1 week
Notification Channels & Custom Styles
video • 25 min
Widgets & Glance Basics
article • 20 min
Accessibility APIs & Semantics
video • 20 min
Sharesheet & Content Sharing
article • 20 min
Shortcuts & Picture-in-Picture
video • 15 min
Exercise: Rich Notification + Widget
exercise • 55 min
26
Cross-Platform Considerations
KMM, Flutter, React Native—shared logic, native bridges, trade-offs.
1 week
KMM: Shared Domain/Data Layers
video • 25 min
Flutter vs RN vs Native Trade-offs
article • 25 min
Bridging Native Capabilities
article • 20 min
Testing & CI for Multiplatform
video • 20 min
Exercise: KMM Module POC
exercise • 60 min
27
CI/CD Pipeline
GitHub Actions/Jenkins, automated tests, beta distribution, versioning, rollout.
1 week
CI Basics & Caching Gradle
article • 25 min
Unit/UI Tests in CI
video • 20 min
Signing, Versioning & Build Variants
video • 20 min
Beta Distribution (Firebase App Dist.)
article • 20 min
Staged Rollouts & Hotfix Flows
article • 20 min
Exercise: CI Pipeline YAML
exercise • 55 min
28
Monitoring & Analytics
Crashlytics/ANR, performance traces, custom analytics, funnels, remote config.
1 week
Crash/ANR Analysis & Signals
video • 25 min
Performance Monitoring & Traces
article • 20 min
Analytics Events & Funnels
article • 20 min
User Behavior, A/B & Remote Config
video • 20 min
Exercise: Define KPI Dashboards
exercise • 50 min
29
Case Study: Design Instagram
Upload pipeline, feed generation, stories, realtime interactions, DM & search.
1 week
Media Upload/Transcode Pipelines
video • 25 min
Feed Ranking & Pagination
article • 25 min
Stories Architecture & Preloading
video • 20 min
Realtime Likes/Comments
article • 20 min
DM & Search/Discovery
article • 20 min
Exercise: Feed + Stories POC
exercise • 60 min
30
Case Study: Design Twitter/X + Interview Framework
Tweets, timelines, hashtags/trends, notifications; interview approach & trade-offs.
1 week
Tweet Composition & Media
article • 20 min
Timeline Generation & Caching
video • 25 min
Trends/Hashtags & Search
article • 20 min
Notifications & Delivery Guarantees
video • 20 min
Interview Framework: Req → Design → Deep Dive → Trade-offs
video • 25 min
Exercise: 45-min Whiteboard Design
exercise • 45 min