Using ViewModel helps keep your app smooth by preserving UI data during screen rotations or other configuration changes. This avoids reloading data or restarting heavy tasks, which keeps frame rates stable around 60fps and reduces battery drain.
To keep 60fps rendering, use ViewModel to hold UI data and avoid re-fetching or recalculating on every rotation. Combine ViewModel with LiveData or StateFlow to update UI efficiently without blocking the main thread.
ViewModel is part of Android Jetpack libraries, which add minimal size to your app (a few hundred KB). It does not increase startup time noticeably because it only creates or restores data when needed, not at app launch.
Android ViewModel is designed to survive configuration changes like rotations by tying data to the lifecycle of UI controllers. iOS uses different patterns like ViewControllers and state restoration APIs to handle similar cases. Android ViewModel is unique in its lifecycle-aware design.
Using ViewModel aligns with Android best practices recommended by Google Play. It helps avoid crashes or poor user experience during rotations, which can lead to negative reviews. Ensure your app handles lifecycle events gracefully to meet quality standards.
Your app takes 5 seconds to load this screen after rotation. What's likely wrong? You are probably reloading data or restarting tasks instead of using ViewModel to preserve state across configuration changes.