Coordinating ViewCompositionStrategy across nested ComposeView and AndroidView boundaries

Disposal Order and Lifecycle Inheritance

When an AndroidView hosts a nested ComposeView, the inner composition does not automatically inherit the ViewCompositionStrategy or the ViewTreeLifecycleOwner of the outer ComposeView. Each ComposeView instance maintains its own independent composition boundary.

Expected Disposal Behavior

If the AndroidView is detached from the window but the outer ComposeView remains attached, the inner composition will persist unless it has been explicitly configured with a strategy like DisposeOnDetachedFromWindow. The outer strategy (e.g., DisposeOnViewTreeLifecycleDestroyed) only triggers when the outer view's lifecycle owner is destroyed, which does not necessarily coincide with the detachment of a nested AndroidView.

Lifecycle Ownership

The inner ComposeView attempts to find a ViewTreeLifecycleOwner by traversing up the view hierarchy. While it may eventually find the owner provided to the outer ComposeView, the disposal trigger is tied to the strategy assigned to that specific ComposeView instance. Because the inner view is created inside an AndroidView factory lambda, it is treated as a separate entity in the view tree.

Implementation Steps for Safe Nesting

To prevent memory leaks—particularly when the AndroidView is used within a RecyclerView—you must explicitly coordinate the strategies for both boundaries:

1. Outer ComposeView: Use DisposeOnViewTreeLifecycleDestroyed to ensure the primary composition survives configuration changes but dies with the Activity/Fragment.
2. Inner ComposeView: Explicitly set setViewCompositionStrategy(ViewCompositionStrategy.DisposeOnDetachedFromWindow). This ensures that when the AndroidView is recycled or removed, the inner composition is disposed of immediately, regardless of the outer composition's state.
3. Explicit Scoping: If the inner composition requires a specific lifecycle scope different from the view hierarchy, call setViewTreeLifecycleOwner(owner) on the inner ComposeView before calling setContent.

Verification and Diagnostics

To verify that disposal is occurring in the correct order, implement a DisposableEffect in both the outer and inner compositions:

DisposableEffect(Unit) {
    onDispose { Log.d("ComposeLeakCheck", "Composition Disposed: ${this.name}") }
}

Observe the Logcat during a RecyclerView scroll or a fragment transaction. If the inner composition log does not appear when the AndroidView leaves the screen, the inner strategy is incorrectly configured.

Missing Diagnostic Detail: Are you using a custom ViewTreeLifecycleOwner for the AndroidView, or are you relying on the default Activity/Fragment owner?