LazyColumn scroll state not restored by Navigation rememberSaveable

Short answer

LazyColumn and LazyRow use LazyListState (created via rememberLazyListState()), not ScrollState. rememberLazyListState already wraps rememberSaveable internally, so firstVisibleItemIndex and firstVisibleItemScrollOffset survive configuration changes and process death unless the state object itself is recreated — for example, by calling rememberLazyListState() inside a composable that leaves composition, keying it to changing inputs, or when the NavBackStackEntry is popped.

There is no public timeline for Navigation-level automatic scroll restoration beyond what rememberSaveable already provides. For Compose 1.6.x the reliable pattern is to hoist LazyListState to a scope that outlives the destination's composition (a ViewModel or a parent rememberSaveable) and restore from saved index/offset rather than passing the state object directly.

Why the scroll position resets

• State recreated on recomposition: rememberLazyListState() called inside a child composable that is removed from the tree (e.g., inside a Box that conditionally renders) loses its saved instance.
• Navigation destination destroyed: When you navController.popBackStack() or navigate away such that the entry is removed, its rememberSaveable registry is cleared. The next time the destination is created it starts fresh.
• Key or input changes: Passing a key or parameter to rememberLazyListState(key) that changes across rotations forces a new state instance.

Recommended pattern for Compose 1.6.x (no leaks)

1. Create the state once in a ViewModel (or a rememberSaveable at the navigation-graph/activity level) and feed it the saved index/offset via SavedStateHandle.
2. Expose a factory, not the state object: The ViewModel stores Int index and Int offset, then provides a LazyListState initialized with those values when the composable asks for it.
3. Update the saved values on scroll: Use a LaunchedEffect(listState) that debounces and writes firstVisibleItemIndex/firstVisibleItemScrollOffset back to the SavedStateHandle.

// ViewModel
class ListViewModel(handle: SavedStateHandle) : ViewModel() {
    private const val KEY_INDEX = "scroll_index"
    private const val KEY_OFFSET = "scroll_offset"
    
    var savedIndex by mutableStateOf(handle.get(KEY_INDEX) ?: 0)
        private set
    var savedOffset by mutableStateOf(handle.get(KEY_OFFSET) ?: 0)
        private set
    
    fun createListState() = rememberLazyListState(
        initialFirstVisibleItemIndex = savedIndex,
        initialFirstVisibleItemScrollOffset = savedOffset
    )
    
    fun onScroll(state: LazyListState) {
        // debounce in real code
        savedIndex = state.firstVisibleItemIndex
        savedOffset = state.firstVisibleItemScrollOffset
        handle[KEY_INDEX] = savedIndex
        handle[KEY_OFFSET] = savedOffset
    }
}

// Composable
@Composable
fun MyListScreen(viewModel: ListViewModel = hiltViewModel()) {
    val listState = viewModel.createListState()
    LaunchedEffect(listState) { 
        snapshotFlow { listState.firstVisibleItemIndex }
            .distinctUntilChanged()
            .debounce(300)
            .collect { viewModel.onScroll(listState) }
    }
    LazyColumn(state = listState) { /* items */ }
}

What to verify on your version

1. Rotate the device or enable "Don't keep activities" with a LazyColumn using plain rememberLazyListState() (no hoisting). Confirm firstVisibleItemIndex restores.
2. Add a log of listState.firstVisibleItemIndex in onResume / composition to see if the saver runs.
3. Check that the destination's NavBackStackEntry is not being popped (e.g., singleTop, popUpTo inclusive, or launchSingleTop misconfiguration).

One diagnostic detail that changes the recommendation

Are you creating LazyListState inside the destination composable directly (val state = rememberLazyListState()) or inside a child composable / with a key / inside a LaunchedEffect / derivedStateOf? If the former and it still resets on rotation, the issue is likely a Navigation/Compose version interaction — please share the Compose and Navigation library versions you're using.