Shared Element Transition — What It Is, Shared Elements in Transitions

<androidx.cardview.widget.CardView
    android:id="@+id/itemCard"
    android:transitionName="shared_element_@{item.id}"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content">
    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/itemImage"
        android:transitionName="shared_image_@{item.id}" />
</androidx.cardview.widget.CardView>


<ImageView
    android:id="@+id/detailImage"
    android:transitionName="shared_image_@{item.id}"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="300dp" />

import androidx.core.app.ActivityOptionsCompat
import androidx.core.util.Pair
import androidx.fragment.app.FragmentTransaction

// Activity: Shared Element via ActivityOptions
val options = ActivityOptionsCompat.makeSceneTransitionAnimation(
    this,
    Pair(imageView, getString(R.string.transition_name_image)),
    Pair(titleView, getString(R.string.transition_name_title))
)
startActivity(intent, options.toBundle())

// Fragment: Shared Element via FragmentTransaction
val detailFragment = DetailFragment().apply {
    sharedElementEnterTransition = TransitionInflater.from(context)
        .inflateTransition(android.R.transition.move)
    sharedElementReturnTransition = TransitionInflater.from(context)
        .inflateTransition(android.R.transition.move)
}

supportFragmentManager.beginTransaction()
    .addSharedElement(imageView, imageView.transitionName)
    .addSharedElement(titleView, titleView.transitionName)
    .replace(R.id.container, detailFragment)
    .addToBackStack(null)
    .commit()

// Transition Customization: ChangeBounds + ChangeImageTransform
detailFragment.sharedElementEnterTransition = TransitionSet().apply {
    ordering = TransitionSet.ORDERING_TOGETHER
    addTransition(ChangeBounds())
    addTransition(ChangeTransform())
    addTransition(ChangeImageTransform())
    duration = 400L
    interpolator = FastOutSlowInInterpolator()
}

import UIKit

"> Custom Shared Element animator
class SharedElementAnimator: NSObject, UIViewControllerAnimatedTransitioning {
    let fromView: UIView
    let toView: UIView
    let fromFrame: CGRect
    let toFrame: CGRect
    let isPresenting: Bool

    func transitionDuration(using ctx: UIViewControllerContextTransitioning?) -> TimeInterval {
        return 0.4
    }

    func animateTransition(using ctx: UIViewControllerContextTransitioning) {
        guard let toVC = ctx.viewController(forKey: .to),
              let fromVC = ctx.viewController(forKey: .from)
        else { return }

        let container = ctx.containerView

        if isPresenting {
            container.addSubview(toVC.view)
            toVC.view.layoutIfNeeded()
            toVC.view.alpha = 0
        }

        // Shared element snapshot
        let snapshot = fromView.snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates: false)!
        snapshot.frame = isPresenting ? fromFrame : toFrame
        snapshot.layer.cornerRadius = isPresenting ? 12 : 0
        container.addSubview(snapshot)

        fromView.isHidden = true
        toView.isHidden = true

        UIView.animate(withDuration: transitionDuration(using: ctx),
                       delay: 0,
                       usingSpringWithDamping: 0.7,
                       initialSpringVelocity: 0) {
            snapshot.frame = self.isPresenting ? self.toFrame : self.fromFrame
            snapshot.layer.cornerRadius = self.isPresenting ? 0 : 12
            toVC.view.alpha = 1
        } completion: { _ in
            fromView.isHidden = false
            toView.isHidden = false
            snapshot.removeFromSuperview()
            ctx.completeTransition(!ctx.transitionWasCancelled)
        }
    }
}

// Hero — library for simplifying shared transitions
// heroID matches on both screens, similar to transitionName in Android
import Hero

imageView.hero.id = "itemImage"
imageView.hero.modifiers = [.spring(stiffness: 300, damping: 20)]
titleLabel.hero.id = "itemTitle"

import androidx.compose.animation.core.spring
import androidx.compose.animation.EnterTransition
import androidx.compose.animation.ExitTransition
import androidx.compose.animation.SharedTransitionLayout
import androidx.compose.animation.fadeIn
import androidx.compose.animation.fadeOut

// SharedTransitionLayout — container for shared elements
SharedTransitionLayout {
    val sharedTransitionState = remember { SharedTransitionState() }

    // Screen A: list
    LazyColumn {
        items(items) { item ->
            Card(
                modifier = Modifier.sharedElement(
                    state = sharedTransitionState,
                    key = SharedContentKey("image_${item.id}"),
                    boundsTransform = { _, _ ->
                        spring(dampingRatio = Spring.DampingRatioMediumBouncy)
                    }
                )
            ) {
                AsyncImage(model = item.imageUrl, contentDescription = null)
            }
        }
    }

    // Screen B: details (shown when an element is selected)
    AnimatedContent(
        targetState = selectedItem,
        transitionSpec = {
            EnterTransition.None using SizeTransform(clip = false)
        }
    ) { item ->
        item?.let {
            Image(
                modifier = Modifier.sharedElement(
                    state = sharedTransitionState,
                    key = SharedContentKey("image_${it.id}")
                ),
                painter = rememberAsyncImagePainter(it.imageUrl),
                contentDescription = null,
                contentScale = ContentScale.FillWidth
            )
        }
    }
}

// Optimization: Placeholder for image in shared transition
import androidx.core.widget.ImageViewCompat
import com.bumptech.glide.Glide

"> Loading the preview before navigation
Glide.with(context)
    .load(imageUrl)
    .override(300, 300) // Size limit for shared transition
    .placeholder(R.drawable.placeholder)
    .into(imageView)

> Lazy loading of full-resolution after the transition
val detailImage = findViewById<ImageView>(R.id.detailImage)
detailImage.doOnPreDraw {
    Glide.with(context).load(imageUrl).into(detailImage)
}

// iOS: snapshot optimization with drawHierarchy
// snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates: false) — faster, ignores pending updates
// For complex Views: drawHierarchy(in: view.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)